HOUSES AND HOMES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12584, 20 August 1901, Page 7

HOUSES AND HOMES.

TO THE EDITOR. .v.gl£— With respect, to the . Government Jfcasea for workmen's homes, tie.following •orrespondence has parsed between the SotSh'arfih. and The Minister of .Land's an 3 members for Christchurch and adjoining -electorates.—l am, etc., H. A. ATKINSON. Belwyn Street, f Sprcydon, . ■ ■ August 11, 1901. ; a Llewellyn,” Selwyn Street, Spreydon, Ohxistchureh, July li, 1901. —‘The Hon 1. Y, Duncan, Minister of Lands, Wellington-:.S:ir,-—I am instrttcttd to write, on hehail ..of the.ChristotruTch Church, con- , cErming -the condition's of life prevailing .among the settlers op Government lands ■et apart ill this district for tlw establishment of, workmen's-. 'homes. Our wow.ship'is of opinion that the housing accommodation provided for themselves by. due Ittatuts ch many of these 'sections is most. ' Inadequate, and that the standard of comfort of the inhabitantts, instead -of b'.-mg praised,' is being surely and rapidly detenoratodi Man, women and children livang in these wretchedlv small dwellings can-mx : 'jfo teMto pcssess -ordinary means i<-r tne ■ •htervance of decency and cleans: ness, or ■;for the .maintenance of health, and-at the •-T6VV least ttest; 'thty fehc-tild linre. I ebefore me a handbook reiating' to the Taia•iraihl flhmlet, which was brought imcer the ■ notice of mur fellow*hip fete, and I -asked to draw yepr attention to Section ■2O ahd Suh-scctlon (1), and ■ Sub-eectioa (1) of Section-31, the cam speaking of “a subttantial dweiling-hcnae-of the value of a* least £30.,” the, other .stating that “an advance of not,, more than, £SO may be made to the lessee. ” My church would point cut that -these conditions do, -not imply that any very high standard of living is expected of settlers, but quite the contrary. W e wish .respectfully to ask whether you canhot see' ycuf way to inaugurate some system to provide decent homes all occupiers of these suburban lands. We That :lihis might be done either by granting'loans up to the amount of £250 for the building of. well-equipped cottages or preferably by the Government taking m hand itself di» building cl good substantia; houses, to be hi,at- rates to • cover cost of Construction and maintenance. Such home® would, in our opinion, prove a secure anvesbinctit for public. funds, and would do away, with a state of things which is nothing less than a pisldsiv teaueal-— ! i m ' etc., H. A. ATKINSON, sfoa JSM. church Socialist Church. . Department of lands and- Survey, V\ eiIkwtco, July 15, I9ol.—Sre,-I am directed by thelHon Minister. Of -Lands to say that iu .reqaQVodl your letter of July. 11, in which., da behalf of the Christchurch Sociialis; Chureh, you ask for asrtain modifications o. the regulations regarding workmen’s homes, especially to provide for tie grainting o loans up to £250 for the hnilldiug of well equipped cottages, or for the GovornmcrA t-alriirtg in hand the building of good, sub btabrial houuas, to’ he let at rates to-coves cqisfe df ccmstructkn' aindi/maintenance, 'll:’ reply,, I have, to say thdt your suggestionswill receive full consideration. —1 have, etc., A. BARRON* tinder Secretary. Mr H. A; Aticmnoo, honorary secretary Chrsbelmrd Socmfeb Ohni'Ch, “ Llewellyn;” Bclwyr Street, Spreydon-, Christchurch. Copy of letter addressed to Messrs W. W, Colin®, H. G. TBH, G. ’ J. ' Smith, W. -W. Tanner, G. W. Russell, and G. Laurcnson. " Selwyn Street, Spreydon, Christchurch, July 25, 1901.—Sir,—I' have written th; lettwr enclosed herewith to the Htmi'Midste; of Laincb, and hstve hiis reply thahyuri,‘‘:suggcs&OPß prill -receive Ml considferarioib.* : . 3 am «0W further instr noted to communicat wath: yourself’.and your colleagues from Chrtetchurch -and suburban electorates asking if you will take.soma stops ..either separately or in concert to have this matte: ventilated, and something done in the di-re c r/ ticek indicated bv my Church.—l am* etc.. H. A. ATKINSON, honorary seorethry Chriateharch Socialist Church. ' ' 'REPLIES.

1901.—Mr 'Hi- A. Atkinson, honorary secretary Gbristohurcl Booklist Ohoircb. —Dean Atkinson, —You; lebttr respecting cheaper and better hornet for the peopie to hand. lam in entire ac corf with the views as expressed in yen;.; letter to the ■MimsteP of Lamb, and will dt what I Cttnto further so desirable a reform Y6u will 'tee that 1 referred! tb'lhe subjec of high rente In my spßechi. oh the addrre la eeoOGd reading, of the Lands for-Settle msaib Bifi of this sesadton.—Yours fraternally, • H. 0. ELL. :n:'v ; Gfmferal Assembly Library, July 24, 1901. 1 have a&aidy this . Bessie: lirged upon .the Government the ioecetelt;* for dealing adequately with the matter o supplying homes for workers. You car rely upon my doing everything possible- U give effect to the wishes expressed in yon: letter/ for whidr letter please accept m; thank*.—Yours, very faithfully, W. AY ; COLLINS. ■ Wellington, July SO, 1901.—Mr H. A Aikinson.— Dear Sir,—Your letter to .ham • regarding the primitive condition of th. homes >rr the Tarawahi Estate atd the er closure "as addressed! to- the Hon. Minis tcj for Lamb. In reply, I have to stats tha I I-have watched with great Interest' th X little 1 that has bkn initiated -regardin; “Workmen’s Homes,” and must.say the. it is' a . source cl profound dtetisfactio; that the. aid given to the settlers is st meagre. • Up to the last year, by the the; law, .only £2O advance could be given n these small settlers; a provision in thr iaw of 1885 designed to aid small men u the bush where.timber as building materia; was, available in profusion, but which Wa absurdly inadequate when applied to home near town. Last year, I succeeded in get ting, the sum raised to £SO, but this h far too small, and the tenant must speiu money before he can raise money, which n reversing the proper method. I have bee; telMg the Premier that no solution is satis factory short of absolutely building houte. on the sections beforehand; but when tin matter was mentioned- in tbs- Houso ..th. other 1 day, a Liberal M.H.R. immediately called out to .know, whether the Govern-' men* was expected to furnish them in ad dltion, and a general laugh rang througi; the Chamber. Ridicule is a powerlu weapon, but one hardly expects it to h used by a “representative of the people’ at the expense of the most helpless chs in the community. He would be too wis‘. to nee such remarks before a pxiblic -mettitig of hb constituents. , I am willing to- an anything oil behalf of those men that premises tfuoce&s or partial stsoofss, but v. need a dozen or two more thorough-goinj. radicals of pronounced type before muc: in achieved, and then the Government wil. yield to pressure.—Yours truly, W.>, W TANNER. . Wellington, August 2, 1901.—Dear sit,— 1 beg to acknowledge receipt of yours of 26th nit., referring to the size of work men’s homes, etc., and to say that I quite endorse the views of the Socialist Church as therein expressed. Also, I will b; Jbappy to do what I can to draw attention to the matters referred 1 to in your circular. —Yours faithfully, G. W. RUSSELL. Mr H. A. Atkinson, Selwyn Street, Spreydo®, Christchurch. Wellington, August 2, 1901. —Mr H. A. 'Atkineon, Selwyn Street, Spreydon.—Dear sir,—l received your favour of the 25th ulb., and will do what 1 can to support the movement which you have in hana, To-day, during the discussion on the Advances to Settlers Amendmefflb Bill 1 brought the matter up, and urged upon the Government the necessity of making the advance on homes in Village settlements larger than what it is. We musfc for ■thin at present. It wonld be hopeless with this House to try for the Government building and letting houses.—l remain, yours faithfully, G. W. LAUBENSON. ■ No reply has yet been received from Mr JG. J. Smith,