THE SLUMS OF AUCKLAND

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 58, 3 December 1918, Page 6

THE SLUMS OF AUCKLAND

Sir,—l have read with considerable interest the reports published in your columns during the last iew days of the controversies between ?he Mayor of Auckland and the Minister of Public Health (the Hon. Mr. Russell) in reference to matters connected with, and incidental to, the influenza epidemic. Mr. Russell's telegram to Sir. Gunson, published in this morning's issue, is, in. my opinion, typical of the Minister's irresponsibility and inadequate knowledge of matters pertaining to his De--pnvtmeiit. The Minister's telegram gives the impression that he is engaged in an argument with Mr. Gunson personally, but, such is, I assure you, not the case. The Mayor of Auckland is the representative of the public of Auckland, and never previously have his statements more effectively reiterated .the sentiments of that city. «

It is not "to be wondered that the citizens of Auckland are "somewhat sceptical as to the advisability of allowing i' 6ec- / oiid disease-stricken vessel to berth at ■ (heir wharf and land its passengers. Whatever the facts of the case may be, ■ it is' universally believed in Auckland that the more serious form of the epidemic was occasioned by the disembarkation of passengers from the Niagara, and, further, nothing will convince the' Aiakland public that were it not for (he inclusion of tho Prime .Minister and the Minister of Finance in. the ship's passengers the vessel would have been quarantined. In concluding his telegram Mr.i. Russell states that as Minister of Public Health he will carry x out his responsibilities to the letter, without fear. I venture to suggest Unit in the case of the Niagara the Minister was "tvixt the devil and the deep blue sea," in that he had tl - ,e choice of incurring the displeasure of ■ our . representatives from overseas, or of committing , the palpable ■ mistake of sanctioning the clearance tf the Niagara when it was obvious; to even the niost nfeperienced, that tho vessel should be quarantined. That a ' similar mistake should be made with tho Makura is out of .the question, because the business men of Auckland will not tolerate sucli a fallacy, despite whatever the Minister might say to the contrary. Mr. Russell's obstinacy* in this matter .is positively ridiculous. The part of Sir, Russell's lette"r, however, to which I take tlw strongest exception, .is his reference to the "filthy slums and disease-breeding places of Auckland." I have lived for nine, years in the city of Wellington, and for a. .period of nearly equal duration in the "Queen City of the North," and to ire, as to any one with a knowledge of both cities, this phrase'of tho Minister's appears ludicrous. Auckland's slum area couid be placed in the slum area of Wellington six times over, and, I say without hesitation and without, fenr or contradiction, that compared with other maritime towns of equal size, Auckland is an example of cleanliness. True, Auckland has its slums, and, as for Hio past three or four weeks f have been working amongst them, I am able to speak with experience. Since the advent of the influenza epidemic into'that ci(y, cue half—the business inen-of the rullic have learnt how the other half—tho working class-of the population are - living, and as a direct result the. Citizens' Committee have taken the matter in hand, and without doubt the near future will see the most drastic alterations.- It has already been proved that once the business men of Auckland start a thing it will be carried out to ;'ne bit. ter end, and they will not fail in the respect. It is quite possible that nad the Auckland City Council been vested v.'il.h the powers which they should have- had, action would have been taken in the matter years ago, but the failure of Ihe Minister of Public Health to realise the necessity for action in this aintter rendered reformatory methods pracucaliy impossible. . My object, in writing tins letter is to attempt to remove the erroneous <onr>p--tion which Mr. Kussell has otfcmr.ted to create with respect to the contilions extant in Auckland. While I woujd not say that the reports of the conditions in certain areas in Auckland have been ex-, operated, I would like to point out that the section of the community which has taken the matter up is one winch has hitherto not been acquainted with the congested slum areas, and consequently, the revelations of the past few weeks have.been most surprising to them, with . tho result that matters have appeared worse than they really arc. However, the city of Auckland, under the leadership of its Mayor., has taken the matter up, and, "as I have already said, will be responsible for vast improvements in-the near future. On the other hand, Mr J P. Lnto, acting m the same canncitv" for Wellington as Mr. Guuson does for , Auckland, denies that there aro slum 'area? in the former city and «P----narently his action finishes there. W m vice to Mr. Luke and the citizens of Wellington j 3 to "cast the motes from he own eves," and instead of criticisin" the conditions of the northern, city, ■ ""start in and clean up the »>"l™e areas of Wellington, even as tho citizens of Auckland are going to remove the blot from the name of their fair city.-i am, etc., & R BARKER. Trentham, November 30,