APPROVAL GIVEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 236, 5 October 1936, Page 9

APPROVAL GIVEN.

WORKERS' DWELLINGS GOVERNMENT PROPOSA-LS. EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENT. To-day tlie "Star" publishes photo-: graphs of the type of house which the Government is considering for its workers' dwellings scheme. The opinion is generally expressed that if these are tlia kinds of houses which the Government eventually builds, then no objection can be taken to them by-any inter-" ested party. Some fear had been: felt that the erection of houses of one stereotyped pattern in any residential area would prejudice the development of that area. "If the houses really look like those depicted in the photographs, and if they are maintained to look as they do in the photographs. I cannot see that they would be a blot on any landscape," said Mr. C. F. Bennett, the well-known land when shown the picture u produced in the "Star." If the housing scheme was going to take place in any area calling for development, the rateable area of that district should be enhanced. The Larger View. He also took a larger view of the Government's plan. He said that all sections of the community who-'were trying to live up to an ideal of citizenship were entitled to- as pleasant and as happy an environment as was possible for any Government or municipality to provide. "After all," lie added, "we are all more or less victims of environment, and anything that will tend to uplift the mentality and outlook of citizens should be encouraged. Looking at a photograph like this, one can visualise what an uplift such surroundings would be for the children of the occupants, compared with the slum? with which this and other cities unfor tunately are encumbered.

Mr. Jwmnett added that the Government's project was not by any means a new venture of State enterprise. He conlfl recall having seen in some of the oldest cities in Europe, notably Vienna, some of the finest flat construction where working people were housed, at a rent of from 8/ to 12/6 a week. One recently built block of flats was so elaborate that it was hard for a New Zeftlander to imagine that a Government had gone so far in its effort t<> house its people. / Orakei Residents' Views. The recent activity of surveyors at Orakei has led people living there to believe that the Government proposes to build at least some of the \vorkers' dwellings there. Generally speaking the opinion of residents in what has been called the "garden suburb" is favourable to such a plan provided that the houses are of the kind shown in the photograph. It was •pointed out this morning that any majSr building activity at Orakei would mean much development of that district. The development might well mean a shopping centre, better roads and possibly a school. These' are stated to be most important considerations for those who have built homes on expensive sections. One resident said that many of the shopping sites had been bought, but had not been built 011, apparently because it had not been considered worth while. At present existing shops were a considerable distance from some of the houses. The same resident said that the state of the roads left a good deal to be desired. Another point was that-with a greater number of residents there it might be practicable to run a bus service through the area. That would be eminently desirable. He understood that in the past the plea of bad roads had been a reason for the non-existence of such a service. He mentioned one aspect about which some residents felt some disappointment. It was understood that the sections destined for homes for workers had been cut up and made smaller than originally intended. This would mean I a certain amount of crowding.. .When others had bought sections at Oi'akei at fairly high prices, the intention had been to make Orakei justify its name .of garden suburb." That had meant that each home would stand in Relatively large grounds, as befitted the description of the suburb. Large sums had, in fact, been paid for sections to make that possible. Residents living near the proposed sites for the workers' homes felt that if the size of some sections near them were made smaller, then they had paid too high a price for theirs.

SITE CRITICISED.

IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CITY. Criticism of the Orakei site chosen for the Government housing scheme in Auckland was given to-day by a city land agent. He stated that the sections were very much exposed to the weather and were three-quarters of a mile distant from present bus stops, from which there were steep approaches, and he y/o le f ares to the city were o/O per week. . "Orakei is too far away for the workln? Man—it is a site for people of means and leisure, who can keep and run a motor car," he said. "Why not clean up old city dwelling areas, all those places branching off the main streets and dipping into valleys, with insanitary buildings that have outlived their usefulness aiid whose conditions are now bad for the health of the occupiers and certainly unfit for the rearing of children ? We ought to be thankful for what we have got in this land of ours, with its mere million and a half of people; we have all the milk and butter and fresh food we need, and all we have to do is to look after the lesser details. What is the good of pouring pure milk down the throats of the children at school and sending them home to houses really unfit to live in? I suggest that these dwellings should be replaced by small, compact homes, facing open spaces that could be maintained as decent playinn: grounds for children by the parks committee of the City Council. There is ample evidence about of slums unworthy of the Dominion!" * It was mentioned by one man that a special workers' train was run each day 1 to Otahuhu for between 700 and 800 men employed in the railway workshops. These men lived with their families in and near the city, and so if homes were built for them closer to their work many hundreds of houses would, be 1 . made available in the city for city worker?.'