THE OVERCROWDING QUESTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12480, 26 January 1904, Page 3

THE OVERCROWDING QUESTION.

ACTION BY THE PARNELL BOROUGH

COUNCIL. The Panioll Borough Council were occupied for some time last evening in a discussion of the question of overcrowding. In accordance with notice, Mr. Beale moved, "That a committee be Bet up for the purpose of drafting a by-law to prevent the overcrowding of laud and buildings, and for the purpose of calling a special meeting of this Council to pass the same." He stated that he was actuated by the one desire to see Parnell a healthy and desirable place to live in. There had been a tendency in late years to crowd buildings together" to the detriment of the public health. Public opinion during the last 20 years had been in the direction of giving- the people plenty ol breathing space, and this had been rejected in the. legislation makiug for wider and better streets. He proposed that the Council should proceed under the Municipal Corporations Act of 1903. Local bodies had the power to increase the breathing epaee by passing by-laws, in accordance with what thev considered essential to health. The houses were not brick buildings, but in most, cases little wooden shanties, which, however nice they looked when painted up, were apt to degenerate into ramshackle concerns after a few years. The question had been raised at a former meeting of the rents. He doubted whether the passing of the by-law would seriously affect the rents, but, in any case, it was better to pay a shilling or two more per week and have proper breathing space rather than pay a little less for a bouse in a congested area. Moreover, there were the trams to facilitate people getting about, and they could live farther out than heretofore.

Mr, Thomas, in seconding, said any movement which would minimise the chances of Parnell ever becoming a slum town was worthy of consideration. He had noticed wooden houses in Auckland which were a disgrace to the city, owing to the want of space, provision against fires, and what not. Mi. Fostei pointed out that rents were already extremely high, and it seemed to him tha* if they insisted upon increasing the breathing area to any extent the rente would go up by 15 or 20 'per cent. Mi. .Slater expressed a doubt as to whether brick was preferable to wood as building material, main bricks he had seen locally being hardly gout: enough to build chimneys with.

The Mayor considered the time had come to make a revision of some of the by-laws. The resolution was agreed to, and the following were appointed a committee to go into the matter The Mayor, Messrs. Wood. Briggs, Fowler, and Beale. Also, or the motion of Mr. Beale, it was decided that a committee, consisting of the whole Council, he set up, for the purpose of revising the Council's by-laws, and bringing up a, draft thereof, together with a draft of proposed new by-laws, tc meet present exigencies, such committee to report to the Council.

A further resolution, moved by Mr. Beale, "That it is desirable to declare a portion of Manukau Road to be a brick area, so that in future business premises about to be erected within that area .shall be built of brick ot concrete," lapsed for want oi a seconder.