SIX LIVING IN ONE ROOM

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 7 August 1945, Page 2

SIX LIVING IN ONE ROOM

MAGISTRATE’S COMMENT Auckland, Aug. 6 "This man. his wife and four young children all live in one room.” said Senior-Detective Trethewey in the Magistrate's Court, referring to one of two men charged with theft. Accused told Mr J. H. Lux ford. S.M., he went with another man to a house to act as a witness because the other man had had some trouble with the occupier. They admitted taking an electric radiator, electric iron and clock, and holding the articles till an argument corrcerning the sum of £8 had been settled. "But you sold the iron to a dealer for 10s.” interposed the magistrate “Yes.” sir. But I was not working at the time.’’ explained the father of the four. “I thought things could be fixed up later.” Mr Luxford : How much do you pay for the room in which the six of you are living? —I pay £3 a week. Mr Luxford : Where is it?—ln an apartment house in Hobson street. There are two beds and a duchess in it. Mr Luxford: Do you all get your meals for that? —Oh. no, sir. We just get a cup of tea and a couple of biscuits in the morning. "Just sufficient to put the place outside the Fair Rents Act,” remarked the magistrate. ‘These are conditions which should not be tolerated in any civilised community.” The man said he had put in an application for a Slate house. Mr Luxford : You are one of about 10.000 who have made similar applications. I see you came from Napier. Why did you leave Napier to come here? — Well. sir. I couldn’t live on the wages I was getting there, so I came to Auckland to a better job. # And you had difficulty in getting a place to live?—Yes. sir. The magistrate admitted both men to probation for 12 months.—P.A.