ROOM DWELLERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22846, 29 September 1937, Page 18

ROOM DWELLERS

LIVING NEAR WORK WELLINGTON REVELATIONS UNSATISFACTORY FEATURES [nv TELEGBArn —own correspondent] "WELLINGTON, Tuesday For tho past four months 16 men in two groups of eight have been making a survey of tho dwelling-places of Wellington, under tho provisions of tho Housing Act. The field work may be concluded by the second week in October, and as the figures have been sifted and tables compiled ns tho work progressed, in about a month after that the returns will bo ready. While somo localities have been found to bo quite satisfactory from a housing point of view, others, where perhaps least expected, have included many instances where living conditions are not so satisfactory. One of the modern tendencies, probably inseparable from a city with tho physical conditions of Wellington, is tho number of people, men and women, who are living in rooms, in order to be in tho city and near their work. This is a trend that is considered most unsatisfactory, as where there are such conditions the standard of living goes down. It is considered unsatisfactory for people to cook and eat in tho same room in which, they sleep; it is also considered unsatisfactory for all the tenants in a rooming building to use the very limited conveniences and bathroom accommodation. The housing survey reveals all such conditions and, strangely enough, they are perhaps most prevalent on the sunny slopes of Mount Victoria. This locality is fairly densely built upon, and, as it lies to the sun is close to the business area, it is sought by people who are employed in the city throughout the year. This trend toward letting rooms is considered a deterrent to healthy living. There may be many places where the practice of letting rooms is carried on under perfectly good conditions; but it is unfortunate that there are others where "roomers" are not so well provided for. For example, in one Wellington, district, there are some 900 groups accommodated in 800 units. That is considered quite good, as it means that in the majority of eases people are residing in their own homes or at least in separate houses. But in another district as many as 2oOQ groups live in 1500 units, which is not so good.

BIRKENHEAD DISTRICT BUILDING PLAN DEFERRED The decision made in March to build 25 houses was further considered by the Birkenhead Borough Council last night. The Mayor, Mr. E. J. Osborne, said the cost of labour and materials was* now at the peak, and this made the proposal too risky to undertake on behalf of ratepayers, unless with their approval at a poll. It was decided to deier the scheme. The Mayor was empowered, to investigate the possibilities of the Government undertaking the erection of houses at Birkenhead.

SLACKENING IN TRADE CARPENTERS CQMING. NORTH [by telegram —owx correspondent] CHRISTCHURCH, Tuesday The seriousness of the slackeningoff in the building trade in Christchurch is reflected in tho number of carpenters who have left for the Isortn Island to find work. Mr. E. C. Sutcliffe, secretary of the Carpenters Union, stated at least 30 to 40 have left for Wellington alone during the last two months, a number of them being married men. He had received ten applications for clearances from Canterbury members of the union now resident in different parts of the North Island, some of them from as far afield as Auckland, and this, he thought, demonstrated that some were not returning. Christchurch builders who were approached for an explanation for the falling-nway in'the building trade said that there was a complete lack of confidence among prospective housebuilders as a result of the Government housing scheme, and builders themselves stated that they were genuinely alarmed at this feeling of uncertaintj*. West Coast timber mills Jiave sent 2,500,000 super, feet less timber through the Otira tunnel in the last seven months compared with the same period last year. The month of August alone was down 1,000,000 super, feet on last year.