WORKERS’ HOMES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12570, 3 August 1901, Page 6

WORKERS’ HOMES.

In Commenting on the work of the Children’s. Aid Society yesterday we referred inciden,tally to the urgent need for municipal action in the matter of dwellings for

the poor. ‘ Another ■ aspect of-this same housing problem is,dealt with in a suggestive letter from Mr T. E. Taylor, . which wo -publish this morning. It is quite true, as he says, that many of the'dwellings erected on allotments taken up: in,:village settlements are. altogether unsuitable,- and that The- attractiveness of the settlements for residential purposes is ruined by, the unsightly cottages, mere sheds and shelters some of them, that do duty, for homes. An advance of £2O for building purposes is, utterly inadequate, and it is only natural that workers who . have saved a little money should avoid the- neighbourhood of the settlements when they desire to establish homes. But it is not only on - these grounds that we would urge the Government to consider-this question of providing suitable , dwellings. Comparatively few of the houses in ; the city and suburbs have any o' the conveniences now considered necessary for clean and wholesome living. A two-roomed shed is obviously not a proper dwelling for a married man, indeed for any man. The twenty pounds allowed by the Government will barely cover the cost of Weather-boards,, and will not provide even 4-n ordinary water supply, while washhouse „<nd bathroom are out of the question. To uage from the appearance of some of the iettlements, there are selectors who cannot afford to give their shelters a single coat

f paint. Wo do not ash the Government , y advance as much as- £3OO for housebuilding, because caution must be exercised . u ‘this matter 5 ,-bub thei-e is no logical reason why. . considerably more than £2O should 1 nob be provided. Houses cann'ot be readily removed, and they do not deteriorate veiy rapidly in value, so that the loss incurred by the Government through the default of lessees would not be very great, and, as Mr Taylor says, the additional interest would not prove a material burden to, the worker. We- should be glad to see municipaliti'ea moving in the matter, but' the demand for neat, convenient cottages is so keen that the Government would be conferring a great boon on the working classes by adopting Mr Taylor’s suggestion; .