THE HOUSING PROBLEM.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 169, 10 April 1908, Page 9

THE HOUSING PROBLEM.

DISCUSSION BY THE.CITY COUNCIL. - 1 A-RESOLUTION PASSED. Councillor vHiiidmnrsh moved, in accord mco with'notice, at the City Council meet fiig'last bvpiiing: —,'. .. ii jphit ; is 'desirablo that. tlio. citizens.; /%o?^jyoUm^n; , -^ould. immediately.' acr, '.v /'- : V»wrro : Ayadostowii, • i: .districtbiV'wliicli to orcct 'houses for suit- ' •;, "ablo.tenants,i and tlvat,tho:Gity Council • endeavour to arrango with tho Welling-'. ,ton .ISoard means of providing ':'■* with decent. honios at rents reasonably, proportionate to earning"; " ; < Tho i.iovor said .• that "there- was now' ar opportunity .of land at TVadostowi / - iriqro phcaplyi than would bo 'possible aftoi tho tramway, had -beon" extended to .thai suburb. ' Tho Coimcil some timo ago appointed a conmtitteo to deal with this mat- . ■ /.,•., ;; tef,"Jl)jttt;:Hhoi: , had:'hot reported; Tho Council might set aside some moim '■every-year' for the orecfion of 'cottages, -unti' i;; tliero were a good-many:'crectcd;<- Howishec; -v..J'- tlio; j(sounciltio''dovoto an'.evening' to going into i tho ; -question .thoroughly, and tho Ilar '-■ ' v l)qur : ;l36ard,-a5 :anothpr-local ,body-omployinj : ; a," gr6at|:'doal.;of- labour, shbuld tc invitod tc co-operato. •••'-- ' . LAND VALUES. Councillor" Fislior.seconded;tlio motion. He ' V., : . belie vie d '.'i fc' -*ro uld'- bq > ■in 'tho interests ; "pf.:tli(! 1 ;: provided' a land 'fund i for.j.thoj pnrposo.v i-Tho tramway to : AVadcsv. ■ town -tfould increase.'tho .valuo .of the-land, :V -'which r.wduld; go into the pockets of a few, : and ; tho Council j should tho . land ■ before tlio..coming' of tho tramway.' Tlio Council.' should* giro a counterblast against thP/'higfc'yiyhie's • tp' : ,wliiclv land; had." trained,' ■It was- avproblcm.,that to. bo grappled . ; with". ;. v -Tho.: work'or.-.was.. worse' off thftn ten ; . 'V f -SopialistiQ ,-legislation, : ;■lft.' GlasgoWja;.^uple : : .-ls.'-Jd.. a; week;-;. Could'.that he. dono..hero? : ;I v '•: The vCoiliipil .sliqiild' control."tho rents*' which it'didyiot.do at present.'- He Jipped that tlio Council woufdvgiv'o'~"thc matter it-3 ( earnost consideration; that before twelve months olapsedia schomo ,would bom progress.. .*«.✓ .' : ; Coujicjllpr v Litlco^s'aid,that'tlio 'matter waj ; in'tho hands of-la'PoniniitteE^,':but:it had beon r ; .tmable to do-anything; He agreed with tho i proposal- tol build . some ' houses-: each year, ; arid "the'.Council's- elastic finances could boar . this."'^lt the-fbouiidcivduty of the. Council • ; ; to any r opprßSsion. of. tlie..cQmmuhity.; £1000 .had-..been granted for the..Zoo. lio . confessed- that people weropavmgnioroiront >■ hadno, : .-faitli; in : : :-".effqrts; 'iri.; th'i^'^natter,. and ■/."v. /-iiiTinicipEilit^p # s'|^yould' : -. with': tho" ! 3;^ • ■■■■ - i ..;Councillor 'Bis? .thought: that mien :in . tho .' • city should ho looked after; first.; :If. an : • original schemo was successful, it could bo extent/^.Ho-sug-gested':a'sito/at:Wadestown. v-Councillor* Smith -had no -objection tot the : 'C ; principle!'of; the; motion';, but vlie.;^didWotVthink; thatTthn/HbnswVshbuld;,bq;'confined;to a ijviiy ticularr-locality.; If -.they werp built at -'Wadcs 4 •-S 1 : .iWduldibe.proliibi-i ' : J tive':.to' ; 'th6si6vworkipg a'- : ■; good deal"of work' was being done in tlio . ij^southward'.^;:.'':;^ THE HAKBOTJIt 130ARD . - • Counoillor also • agreed awitli -■ tho 'r: : : : that . a 'oommitt-oo from ithotllarbour Board should meet- a comm'itteo from tho Council to.dis- - ; cuss tho matter. A good numbor of. wharf • labourers lived ; out of town, and . their lrro- ; .gular-hQurs,resulted'somotimoa ln-t-hcir.hav- ■ ing to.-rcmain. iir. town all night. , Tho only ' olfectivo method pf 'solvmgrtho: problem tho/stoppmg of isixculation jn land. He wis ' > . - . : in|fav6ur.ir-:W; ; special- ;^ ■. ; oonsider /tho master. Tho port made'-fl'e!-' ■ 'labourers should;bo;consider£d:-Vv';. : : ; a\c6mmitteQ bad - been set-up! op .'this-matteri" .but- only ;; v ;. : .mq'cting. batl' becni;held, : ,'and 'tlio 'mivtter- : not ■'■■■■'% . . th'ij^'words': fromv '\2so<acres,"' etc., - bo, THE POSITION IN GLASGOW. ■' , Tho Mayor stated that tho committee post•'''•v':iPon^ v pending V: to : the.' tramways. .. Tho law.iin : Glasgow.i.-waa- different t-o .tfiat hero . in:- that--buildings ■:- which i;:wero ; , of- a , nature funjuitablo to the locality,wercignored,. ;. and ithoy igavo tho .valuation simply on - thp • land. : 'An:alteration , should ,bo mado hero in that direction. The committee could .'bo 1 rc- . ■ Biiscitated, :and it. would, find somo information waiting for thorn. .Shirtcliffo;Ns(»6nded; : /j.' mont.v ;-Th<>; quest-ion ( - to his mind; was how : V .farr.-the • problem'- was i being - solved . by: tho , Advances t-o .-{\Vprkcrs Act. "'Ho understood . '.y; , that tiiat' Act-- was being availed of..to":n-icoil-i siderablo degree. . Councillor' - liallingor did - not believo in . . - : workmen's", homes. ; A man should : not' get' ■■■(. ,^iaiirij^;-unlil',h«.'--gota.Vhomel ' Workmen .Councillor Cohen'supported'.tho amend- . v.'C \ ,V '' •' V Cbiiritiillpr Hindmarshj.in reply, stated that it,', ' a;sinking.fund should, bo: provided. Ho did ' '' notjagrpci with. Councillor.Ballinger:'.Every-'• do. what, ho could- to. advance -tho happiness of alU'instba'd of.'amassing wealth; '' Councillor.- Fletcher's' .pointrpf view was an • ostrich " w'ay- of looking : iit the' matter,, as : ' V /; (egeryJ)ody done. < In • :'.the;-, speaker's; opinion,- - ,Wadestpwn ,-was ; tho • only -district, who'ro suitabln. land: could- bo .; the; 'Council: 'would do ; soiiicthing'j' Avas ;'.:al I.' .v cry'; ivell' ipas'siiig''; 'ab— stract motiona, and-then doing nothing. '' ; Tho;motion, ;as .amended, .was carried.' - ;. It<,wa3 agreed to hold a special'meeting of ..tho; Council•'.tiyo .months, hence' to • consider' " the.matter.;, t . '.' : .vi-;.' -