SLUMS IN DUNEDIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13456, 8 April 1907, Page 6

SLUMS IN DUNEDIN.

REMARKS AT THE TRADES CON-

FERENCE

[BY TELEGRAPH- —OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Dunedin, Saturday.

During a discussion on urban and suburban lands at the Trades and Labour Conference last night two of the delegates made some very sweeping statements regarding the existing condition of affairs in what they termed the slums of Dune- j din. Referring particularly to certain j quarters in Walker-street, Mr. Hampton, | one of the Wellington delegates, said that j when he first arrived in Dunedin several hovels or matchboxes were pointed out to him as being inhabited by human beings. This fairly made his blood boil, but these places were, by no means as bad as some I of the buildings which he saw in Walkerstreet. He did not suppose that in any i other part of the colony were there slums j of such a character to be found. The Chi- ! nese dens in Wellington were spoken of in this connection, but the slums of Dunedin were 200 per cent, worse than the low- j est that existed in Wellington. He was more than surprised at the fart that the citizens of Dunedin stood by and saw fel-low-beings herded together in worse kennels than they would put their dogs in. It was difficult to realise that such a state of things existed in " God's own country." He had been told that even the worst slums in London were nothing as compared with the slums of Dunedin. The names of the landlords' who owned these places should be obtained and spread from one end of the country to the other.

Mr. Thorn (Christchurch) endorsed Mr. I Hampton's remarks, and said he could not believe that such rookeries, such dilapidated, squalid slums, should be allowed to exist. Walker-street was a disgrace to every member of Parliament who represented the city, to the local authorities, and to every citizen. Such places as those referred to were stunting children's phyI sique and minds, and were starving and ' .degrading their souls.