CLEARING CITY SLUMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19144, 9 October 1925, Page 11

CLEARING CITY SLUMS.

PREMIER READY FOR TASK. PROBLEM CAN BE SOLVED. BFTTER CHANCE FOR CHILDREN. [BY TELECi RATH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] OAMAItU. Thursday. "Some of the slums which exist in our cities are no credit to us," said the Prime Minister to-night, 'and it' Hie Government can only get the opportunity and the backing I thoroughly believe we can make things infinitely better than they are to-day. It is not fair to the children to allow them to be brought up in some of the houses in our cities. We want a strong virile race and it is our job to see that the children are brought up in healthy environment. If the children are not all that they ought to lie the country will not be what we hope it to be. "The housing problem can be solved by someone taking hold of the matter and saying the slums will be wiped out. The question will be asked as to what is to be done with tho people from the demolished houses. I am not going to say much about it, but we can do wha't 1 have in mind. I have had to try several times to clean up departments and I think I can show reasonable progress. I think also I could show reasonable progress in this matter if given an opportunity to carry out the schemes in my mind." DISPUTE NOT OUR AFFAIR. REASON MAY PREVAIL. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] OAMARU, Thursday. Reference to the shipping hold-up was made by the Prime Minister to-night. "Nothing would please me better," he said, "than to see those men get aboard the ships and get the stuff away. The matter is serious enough, but we will make up for it. I have every hope that reason will prevail. This dispute does not belong to New Zealand, but to Great Britain, and should be taken where it belongs. Whether a contract is good or bad it is a contract and should be stuck to, unless the dispute is of such a character that a tribunal should be called in to see whether it is or is not a fair contract." NEFARIOUS DOCTRINE. COMMUNISTIC PROPAGANDA. [BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION. ] WELLINGTON*, Tbursday. In an address to-night, Sir John Luke, Government cartdidate for Wellington North, referred to the shipping trouble. He said it was due to the efforts of communistic propagandists who were spreading their nefarious doctrine throughout the world. "I am not going to refer to it as a strike," he said, " because it is settled. The least said about it the better." The wave of communism at the back of the dispute originated in Russia. It was being spread through the Old Country to such an extent that it had become a serious menace. There were agents all over the world. The happenings in shipping circles in recent weeks had not been a credit it) British seamen. DUNEDIN WEST SEAT. NEW LABOUR CANDIDATE. [BY TEI.EG rape.— press association.] DUNEDIN. Thursday. Mr. Ralph Harrison has been selected to contest the Dunedin West seat in the Labour interest, in place of Mr. C. M. Moss, with whom the officials of the party were dissatisfied, and whose official status was rescinded by the Labour Representative Committee. MR. If. McCALLUM. STANDING AS A LIBERAL. [B'2 TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION. ] BLENHEIM. Thursday. Mr. R. McCallum, ex-member for Wairau. opening his campaign at Blenheim, announced himself as a Liberal. He would follow Mr. Forbes.