CONDEMNED BUILDINGS.

Evening Post, Volume LIX, Issue 127, 30 May 1900, Page 6

CONDEMNED BUILDINGS.

BY THE MAGISTRATE. 'THE STRUCTURES TO COME DOWN The action of the Sanitary officials in condemning two houses, the property of John Merry, in North-street, and two ji(or one bubdividcd) ownea by Augustino Itizzi, in Taramiki-street, was confirmed by the Stipendiary Magistrate this morning, when he gave judgment in the cases in which the owners mentioned had disputed the decision of the officials. Mr. Meek appeared for the Council and Mr. Young lor Merry. Mr. Haselden first reviewed the evidence in the Merry case, and continuing, said: — "It does seem a little strange that in a matter so simple there should be bufth a conflict of evidence. It can be understood Avhy doctors differ as to such a question as v man's sanity or insanity, but when the question is simply whether a house is .fit or unfit for occupation, it is difficult to account for the difference unless we consider that the medical men gave their evidence from different standpoints. The health authorities and their witnesses viewed the question from not only the intrinsic condition of the buildings, but also from the point of environment. These houses taicen away from the crowded lane in whicn they now are, and placed on a rural allotment oi land might healthily contain two or three people for many years. I think the defendant's witnesses have looked at the matter from the point of view last referred to, and perhaps have said they had no rig-lit to look at the surrounding dwellings and conditions, but must saj whether or no tho houses per se are n't or unfit to live in. Now who* in clear is 'that these houses were badly designed, badly built and badly kept. The absence of guttering or spouting is a strong factor towards decay. They have been built about 20 years, they are in a crowded neighbourhood, undrained, and from a city point of view unfinished. In a city such as Wellington where of necessity the available land must be as closely built upon as possible, a very high degree of sanitary precaution is * neces-f-ary, and I think the Corporation is only doing its duty in setting up a high standard. It may be that hitherto they have not uniformly done so, but the city is growing so rapidly, population is becoming so dense, that every year the necessity for the high standard is becoming more apparent, and the efforts to atcain it should not be spasmodic but continuous and uniform. I have no desire to say more than is necessary to explain my judgment in this matter and to account, if possible, for the~ great difference in the experts' testimony. I think on the whole that the defendant's houses have had their day, and that' judged from 'a general consideration of the whole circumstances they are unfit for occupation in the city of Wellington, and I therefore make an order adjudging that the two houses — Nos. 15 and 17, in Northstreet — are unfit for occupation, and that 'they be taken down within one month 'from the date when a copy of the formal order made herein is served on the defendant. I do .not think there is power to award costs in this proceeding." A similar order was made in Rizzi's case.