MODE SLUM SPOTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7850, 12 July 1911, Page 8

MODE SLUM SPOTS

THE SENSITIVE OYSTER AND THE SEWER-SOAKED RADISH. aFXCIAL TO TIIB "TIMES." AUCKLAND, July 11Th© Farnoll Borough Council are out oil a crusade agaui.M tho owners and occupiers of .slum teneinont,s in the ix>rough coniines, ami aro determined, with tne a.-sistauco of the District Health Office, to stamp out all the unclean sjeds that come within their ken. The borough in spec tor of nuisances has been xuoucering, and us a result of his disco verier the Mayor and Dr Atakgiil accompanied him *ju an anti-dirt expedition the other day, to tho discomfiture of several owners and duehers of habitations in different parts of Auckland's oldest suburb. Some of tho conditions found to bo existing may best bo imagined from the words of the Mayor hiraselt at the council meeting last night: "A few weeks ago wo had brought forcibly before use tno ‘jungle' that existed iu different parts of tjuoen. street/' ho began. "VVe. little knew then that wo hud ‘jungle’ conditions hero in our own midst in Parnell. “J ENGLE" CONDITIONS.

“As a result of a visit by our inspector some months ago two shanties in Portland street were condemned by the health officer, and rightly so, but it was felt that there was more to be done in the interests of tho public health, and to Dr Mukgili, myself and our inspector went round. We went to a house where a hsh business. is being carried on. The shop was nico and clean, but upon going into the dwellingbou&o we found a most disgusting, terrible, and disgraceful state of affairs. The filth was indescribable —filth of every description. In cxie room oysters wore being oxiened on a dirty bench — oysters for people to buy and cat upstairs, Tho state of tilth was such that it was surprising that any man or woman could live under conditions so abominable. "Ifc may bo thought this was no business of "ours, but when po-cplo are employed in handling food for sale it is the duty of the aiithoidti-cs to see that ifc is done cleajdy and properly. The result of the visit is that tho place has been condonuiod. THE CHINAMEN'S GARDENS. "I will pass over one or two other places we visited, but I must mention tho Chinamen's gardens. In a hovel in which seven or eight Chinamen were domiciled we found worse even than at the other place; it was reeking with stench. The thought of food that was to bo eaten by the people of Auckland being handled in such a place Wits intolerable, and that place also was condemned by Dr Makgili. "Then, a lifctlo further on, w© came to a creek which Imd been dammed, and in the dam were turnips, watercress, radish, and other vegetables, while a little higher up some men were engaged at work on a drain, the sewage from which drained into the creek. A LIONEL TERRY WANTED.

“I say this is a most disgusting sert of Uhing to go on. Upon seeing these abominations X 'thought that _ it 1 possessed the power I would let Lionel Terry out of the asylum " Mr Thomas: "Steady, Mr Mayor, steady.” Tho Mayor: "Well, gentlemen, I tell you I feel sore on this point. It is this sort of thing that we as public -nen are doing our utmost to suppress, and. X say that if X had the power I would give Terry not a revolver but a Gatling gun. (Councillors: Hear, hear.) I propose that wo .authorise our officer to carry out rigorously the decision of tho health officer.” (Applause from councillors.) Other councillors, supported these statements, and tho Mayor's motion to give effect to the recommendations of the health officer was unanimously carried, as was also a vote of thanks to tho borough inspector of nuisances.