REMEDY FOR SLUMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15649, 1 July 1914, Page 11

REMEDY FOR SLUMS.

ATTRACT PEOPLE ELSEWHERE.

BETTER HOUSES SUGGESTED

TOWN-PLANNER'S VIEWS.

" Town-planting in Auckland will have to be started in those places which are about to be developed in the immediate future. Of course, where there are small slum areas these could be swept away at once. In bhe new areas to be built up oaro should be exercised so that no Blums should ever be possible." This opinion was expressed by Mr. W. R. Davidge, representative of the Garden Cities and Town-planning Association of Great Britain, who arrived in Auckland yesterday by the Mamma, via Vancouver, in discussing the subject with a Hebal.3 representative.

In conjunction with his colleague, Mr. Charles C. Reade, Mr. Davidge is about to undertake a Dominion and Australian lecturing tour, commencing in this city next Monday night, with the first of three freo public lectures. The visitor, besides being an architect, a chartered surveyor, and a qualified civil engineer, is a member of the executive of the British Association referred to, hence his view* oa the question of slums and town-planning generally must necessarily carry weight. The ideal of the town-planner is fairly well recognised as being to foster the growth of suburbs and cities designed on health lines, with ample breathing spaces and "elbow room," as opposed to overcrowded and insanitary conditions. Less is known, however, of what his solution of the existing slum problem is. In order to

gain light on this aspect, Mr. Davidge was questioned, with the result that he expressed himself as stated.

Prevention Better Than Cure.

Pursuing the subject, the visitor said that, from the point ol view of the public, it was not economical to sweep away slum areas immediately, unless they were small areas. The procedure being adopted in many other parts of the world to-day was to start afresh by erecting better and more sanitary dwellings elsewhora. It was found that such houses were eagerly availed of, with the effect of emptying the slums. The latter then became available for destruction or improvement. " It ha 6 been found in London and other big cities that by tackling the area itself, the slums may be eliminated," said Mr. Davidge, " but, generally speaking, the process is far too costly. Much better results have been obtained by moving the slum population a little further afield. In other words, wo find that prevention is better than cure."

Instances of the success of the method of providing better dwellings elsewhere, and so tempting the slum-dwellers out of their former environment were mentioned, Calcutta and Chicago being two cities iu.med as illustrating the point. Mr. Davidge said it had not been found that the slum-dweller was averse to leaving the slums, especially if he could obtain better accommodation at the same price. The slum-dwoiler was seldom ono from choice.

Inducement to Leave the Slums.

" Our idea is to get people on to Larger areas, in houses with belts of land between them," Mr. Davidge continued. "We have been tinkering at it long enough, doing pieces here and there, and w-i are satisfied we shall have to work on a broader basis, la London, for instance, a slum ar&i of three acres was purchased by the London County Council for toe purpose of improvement, but the price of the land alone wan £208.000."

Asked what inducements town-pUnners considered should be held out to dwellers in the slums to leave them, Mr. Davidge, said there must be means of rapid transit, and, furthermore, there must be regulations to prevent overcrowding. Also, to make model suburbs successful the land must bo cheap. The great point was not to spend too much in removing the mistakes of tho past, but to start absolutely do novo. The «abandoned slums could be dealt with afterwards. Vancouver was ex-, pending £1,000,000 in providing bridges and subways over and beneath the Cana ; dian Pacific Railway. The whole of that j might have been saved had a proper j system of town-planning beec inaugurated a few years ago. Conditions in Fiji and Sydney. Mr. Davidca 6aid he was surprised to see overcrowding at Suva. Only recently tht sanitary inspector tftere reported cases of 15 to 20 people—mostly imported Indians—living in one room. He thought it curious that such conditions could exist in Fiji, where land was so cheap. He was informed that in Sydney a mint of money wis being spent in clearing the inner part of the city of slums, but that in the outer areas the same slum conditions were being perpetuated.. Rents and Slums. "It will be found, rents will go down automatically, as superior accommodation is offered," proceeded Mr. Davidge. " Improved conditions elsewhere will soon empty slum houses. I should sr,y, regarding Auckland, that if you have slums here— point on which there seems to be some controversy will bo able to remove them automatically by proceeding on town-planning lines. Not only will you have a healthy city, bnt one in which you will be able to take a pride. • "I advocate beginning your townplanninij absolutely on the land that is now clear," concluded Mr. Davidge, "being quite confident that bv doing jo von will settle the problem, without costing the city a penny for clearing the slum areas." Messrs. Davidge and C. C Reade ar* to give a seri«B of lectures on town planning m the Town Hall, Auckland. The opening lecture will be Given m | July 6, and will deal with " Town-plan-ning for New Zailand." For the per-ond lecture, on July 7, the subject will be " Economic .and Aesthetic Aspects of Town-planninu." while the third lecturp.' i on July 8, will deal with " Garden Cities ! Versus New Zealand ' Slums' and Suburbs." The lectures are to be illustrated by lantern views, and there will .be no charge for admission to the hall. i !