BETTER HOMES FOR THE POOR

Hawera Star, Volume L, 17 May 1930, Page 11

BETTER HOMES FOR THE POOR

TN ;ii maiden speech from the front ■*- Government bench in the (House of Lords, Lord jMarley—the young cxItegular Army Officer who, as-Major Aman, has fought a series, of elections in the Labour interest —gave a sketch of the Government’s forthcoming slum clearance Bill, about which there has been considerable speculation, reports the “'Sunday 'Hews,” 'London. While declining to giye a date for the introduction of th'c measure, which will take place not in the Lords but in the ■Commons, he stated, with strong emphasis, that it will be “very shortly” and ‘‘ as soon as possible. ’ ’ “This,” Lord Marley added, “is one of the matters that are very near to our hearts in the Labour and iSocialist party, so there will be no delay . We know that the 'problem is so serious at the present moment that the. utmost energy of the Government and: of the nation, put into a frontal attack, will not be too much to deal with it for many years to cOrne. ” A little earlier he had indicated that the scheme will mean considerable expenditure. But a spreading knowledge of the terrible, conditions will, lie declared., enable the Government to carry through a big scheme in spite of that. Mere reconditioning oif slum property,, such as was contemplated by the late 'Conservative Government, would not be tolerated in the new proposals.

Parliament would be asked to support plans for sweeping away slum property altogether. 'Concentration upon slum clearance of much cf the energy hitherto devoted to the provision of new houses having been decided upon, it must- he admitted that the task would involve interference with private property on a considerable scale.

There would also have to be provision, at great expense, of temporary accommodation for the large, number of people displaced, and it must he remembered that they would be among the poorest of the population. The Bill would, therefore, seek, among

Plan to Abolish Slums

other things to simplify and shorten the procedure of slum, clearance. It would make ..provision for finding the necessary capital, and would also assist local authorities in the inspection of property and its maintenance in proper repair;’ encourage proper management of property in the “ replaced slum areas’.’"; and encourage the decentralisation of industry by the removal of factories from congested districts' to semi-rural districts, where town-plan-ning would prevent them from, interfering with amenities. - Another point made by the new spokesman of the Cabinet was that, with a view to obtaining more precise information than hitherto about the housing situation, certain new questions may be introduced intoi the IQ’S!! census ‘papers. The idea behind the Bill, however, is that the situation is one of such urgency that the worst areas must be tackled immediately, and a general survey made at some later time.

As a preface to this outline of legislation, Lord 'Marley had enlarged with great warmth and fluency —although ho assured the House of his nervousness as a maiden speaker —upon the shocking character of the slum problem. The Government, he declared', has been seriously disturbed by recent, reports from many medical officers of health, which understate, rather than overstate, the facts.

In view of these facts the spirit, tho high-mindedness, and the morality of the great mass of our :people s could -only be described as amazing.

After hearing 'Lord Marley, tho Archbishop of 'Canterbury remarked that it- was not yet easy tet understand .just what the 'Government means to do, but that at any rate the statement gave ground for encouragement, and hope that at last something was going to be done.

He spoke as air ex-slum dweller, for many years ago he had lived for a time* in a c-'ouple of tiny rooms in a coiid'enined tenement.