"SLUM STREETS"

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 99, 23 October 1924, Page 5

"SLUM STREETS"

PROTESTS IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

CITY EMPOWERING BILL

AMENDED

A LENGTHY DEBATE.

Further opposition was made in the Legislative Council last evening to the proposal in the Wellington City Empowering and Amendment Bill that certain narrow private streets in what some members called the slum areas of the city should be declared public .streets. The debate upon the inclusion or omission of these streets from the Bill continued wearily for over three hours, the principal objectors being the'Hons. W. H. Triggs and J. Barr. Speaking upon the clause relating to the taking over of private streets and private ways, the Hon. W. H. Triggg said that the proposal was in direct contravention of the Municipal Corporations Act. He realised that the configuration of the city was such that the provisions of the Act could not be carried out strictly and in their entirety. He objected- against those streets which were slum thoroughfares or likely to become slum thoroughfares, being declared, public streets. The taking over of such areas would not tend towards their improvement. Kef erring to Brosnahan terrace, he said it was in a cleft of a hill, and in one of the slums at Mitchelltown, and the duty of the council was to compel the owners to im» prove their properties as provided in the Municipal Corporations Act. Whit taker street, off Ghuznee street, wag. only 20, feet wide, and in a shimmy area, and "the majority of the houses did not comply with the requirements of the 'Act in respect to area. By taking over such dead-end streets and making them public streets the City Council would not be tending towards their proper development. .If the properties were bought and then subdivided and sold it would be a much better thing for tlja city. If such alleys were declared public streets now the probability was' they would remain in their present condition. Bison grove -was not a slum street at present, but it would become so in time, and if taken over now it would be more difficult to deal with the position later on. To declare these streets public streets, with the ultimate intention of widening, and to spend money on improving them in the meantime, meant that the price would be put up on the council when it came to pay for widening purposes, and the cost of the work would thus be doubled The Hon. T, W. Hislop intimated at this stage that he proposed to drop Tui street out of the clause, Mr. Triggs moved that Brosnahan terrace be deleted from the clause.. NO BUSINESS TO INTERFERE. Mr. Hislop said that the City Council desired to take over Brosnahan terrace in order to deal with the open water-course, Nvhich ran through it, and which was.likely to become pestilential ■in hot weather. It was not the function of the Legislative Council to interfere in the management of the city authority. He submitted that it would be advantageous to take over the streets referred to in the Bill, and that they were in no way slum streets. Speaking as a past Mayor of Wellington Sir Francis Bell said he sympathised < with the object of the City Council, years ago the taking over of 130 private streets in Wellington was authorised by the l^w for the same purpose as the present Bill. He denied that the streets were disreputable neighbourhoods—he declined to regard them as slums. If the City Council was satisfied that it was, in the interests of the city, to take .over the streets named in the Bill, the Legislative Council should approve the proposal. He hoped the council would not reject any of the streets on the general ground raised by Mr. Triggs. The City Council was not likely to be astir.- something corrupt and dishonest, ans which was not in the interests of the city. The Hon. J. Ban- thought Brosnahan terrace should be withdrawn from th« clause; it was not a private way but merely a hole in a hill. When" the 130 byways referred to by the Leader of the Council were taken over it was understood to be a cleaning up, and that they should be the last to be taken over. Sir Francis Bell: "I don't think so." Was it not better, asked Mr. Barr to purchase these streets right away clear out the slum areas, and make either an open space or a proper street, than to spend money in repairiiifr the present street? For general health-rea-sons Brosnahan terrace, as well as Tui street,,,should not be agreed to. SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN BUILT UPON. * Ths Hon. J. B: Gow admitted that on the whole the council's proposals were in the right direction, but he agreed that some of the streets should not be included in the Bill, especially Brosnahan terrace and Tui street and he thought the member in charge of the BUI would be well advised to withdraw the former.- It should never have been built upon, and it would be a good thing to demolish the houses and make a reserve. It waa bad policy, said Mr. Hislop, to encourage bad streets, and the City Council desired to improve the approaches, and make the streets less unsightly. The houses could not be expected to_ be improved until the street was put in proper order, ■ The Hon. J. 1?. Cambell said that so long as the streets referred to remained private streets they would be slum thoroughfares. The Hon. G. J. Garland said the clause was opposed to the principal Act, and he would vote against it. "A BITTER PILL, BUT SWALLOW IT." ■ ' ' "I will ask the Council to swallow what is more or less a bitter'pill," said the Hon. C. H. Izard, "not because we want it, but because we have got to do so." '"- The Hon. Dr. Collins supported the proposal in regard to Brosnahan terrace, on the ground that the drain which ran through it was a health menace. If the Bill had '' applied to another city, said the Hon. W. Earnshaw, Councillors would not have treated it so personally as they were doing. Dunedin and Auckland no doubt had as many slums as Wellington, and what right had members of the Council to treat Wellington in a different manner from the way they would treat other towns? The Hon. R. Moore objected to the Legislative Council interfering with the responsibility of the City Council. Mr. ' Triggs read a report from Dr. "Findlay, Medical Officer of Health, in which he declared the locality and situation of the houses in Brosnahan terrace was not good, but they were quite fit for habitation. Mr. Hislop declined to withdraw Brosjialian torruuQ from tho clause, wheve-

declaring that the condition in that street were a scandal and a blot on "God's Own Country." He was suspicious when lie found such a stjeot being "shoved through," and he urged the member in charge of the Bill to postpone £he passage of the measure until he hai visited the street. The Hon. B, Scott admitted that Brosnahan terrace was not a desirable place to live in, but it was capable of improvement. . Mr. Barr maintained that it was not fit for human habitation, and that it was impossible to improve it. The street was retained in the clause by 21 votes to 8. In regard to Bixon grove, Mr. Hislop said tho owner ,had agreed to set back the northern boundary to a distance of 25 feet from the centre line of the street, and a provision was inserted in the Bill giving effect to this. *i.l!ie^ yin,g to a außgestion byMr. Triggs that lutchen avenue should be similarly widened, Mr. Hislop said it would be quite impossible in that case. After further, discussion, Tui street was deleted from the list of private ways in the Bill. , ' Mr. Barr debated at length other clauses in the measure, which was passed as amended at 11.25 p.m., after three and a quarter hours' discussion' upon it. The private atreets which are declared public streets as a result of the passage of the Bill are:—Brosnahan terrace, .Kennedy street, Torquay terrace^ Wesley. road, Lmdum terrace, Heaton terrace. Kixon grove, Tutchen avenue, Whittaker street, Grass street Extension (east of .town Belt), Beauchamp street Wadestown), Bosworth terrace, and Boston terrace.-