THE SLUM PROBLEM

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 67, 16 September 1933, Page 6

THE SLUM PROBLEM

DANGER TO THE NATION

A DOCTOR'S PROTEST

,;; Slum clearance^ ; was discussed at length by the doctors attending tbo meeting of 'the British Medical Association at Dublin, when Dr. E. 11. T. Nash, Medical Officer of Health for Hoston and Isleworth, referred to the "present mess in England," and tieclm'ed that practically in no.''district had the medical officer boon consulted ou tho subject, ovdn in his own area, says tho "Morning Post," *. "Tho matter has been dealt with by surveyors who have, been kocn to put up picturesque little villages which they delight to have photographed and exhibited to people as thoir handiwork, regardless of the failure to deal with tho rehousing of tho poprest classes of the populatiou who are overcrowded. The flotsam and jetsam should havo been, dealt with first and not last, ho said. , ~ ,-.,.:. ~... Dr. Nash gave an instance of a man with a wifo and two children.who were compelled to sjeep, on Hounslow Heath. The fact that they had the two children "slammed tho door in their faces" when they applied 'for accomodation. ; "Slums are not created by promises so much as by persons, Tli o slum house is an index of the wife living in it," her continued. . ... No architect, ho, said, liadsolvod the problem of tho damage done to houses by the . old-fashioned pbi-ambulator, which was still being used by the poor- j cut people, second-hand, third-hand, and fourth-hand. The,handles left their imprints air round the room1 becaiiso the "pram" was used asa cot. Thero was a dado of dirt all round the room where the occupant used thaV method to ox-, press jiis, joy .or rage. ; - FOB OLD PEOPLE. "Tho old and the young do not mis," said Dr. Nash. "Old people aro intolerant- sometimes-oif-youth. ' The best solution is that WQ'should put old folk in a sort of Close. They .have no.energy' :. for gardening,\ and they want a'plaiie where in thp yas\J the harder it rains tho cleanerit gets." . pri.'C, X, Millard, Medical.Officer of Health for Leicester, also read' a paper on the subject, and urged that the first thing they wanted'was a definition of tho term'VslunUV J "Speaking 'as ;a'.medical; officer of, health,,-/ j: •regtird -tholiuman factor—! the^sluribdweljci—asi.of greater... ; importance'than'the sjum dwelling. The slum-dweller: ;: is-niUfih more sinnpd against than sinning. Having built nice houses, they have looked round for nice: tenants to put in them, and the slumdweller has been turned down. "A considerable number of municipal houses hayo got into the,.hands of peoplo with no''Children or with only very imall families, while so many big families* haVq: been left:• to languish in the- siupis. ■?:-■■ -- ;.-* ,v , • "No landlords liko. children. People have told- mo that .thoy .had to tell a lio about the number'<jf their children, because otherwise they felt there itus no chance pf getting a house.'' Dr.' J. AMlarbison, County Medical, Officer of Health for Dublin, Said that it, was 'as seriqus'a crirto; againsVV the community, for a property owner to, let an unhealthy house as it. was for a butcher to sell diseased meat.