THE SLUMS OF AUCKLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12737, 10 August 1903, Page 5

THE SLUMS OF AUCKLAND.

(Fitoii Ora Owk CoBMsrosDEST.) ■ ' f AUCKLAND, August 8. The He'rftld priblisliDS the first of a serfcs of articles 'upon" the slums of Auckland, showing that, wretched hovels, for which exorbitant rents arcs charged, exist in our midk. Commenting upon tlio facts, ■ the same journal in a leader says:—"lt must be admitted that the , whole- problem.of tmnit&ry housing in large ami growing cite is.bc-eet with difficulties and complications,. b u t it can bo fairly held, as the law itself theoretically bolds, that a sanitary minimum, to use-a'.popular term, shoukl bs rigidly insisted upon. If this 13 not being done in Auckland the pubiio has a perfect right to inquiro why, for, apart altogether from Christian , consideration, towards. those who arc unable to help theiraelves in such a matter, fee are overwhloming public reasons -why no flagrantly insanitary conditions'should bo permitted, wJiether those immediately affected\ure.uuablo or unwilling to alter them. Not only may the shim fever orcep info any house, or tho rictims of iinwholosomo .surroundings ' become a charge upon \: the .'public purse, but the measure of our pubiio spirit k tlio measure meted, out to tho humb'.est, and we cannot pxpoct. to hiiyd a clean and wholesome and beautiful city as long ae obnous and unnecessary blemishes, remain' unremedisd, Tho public does.not want the unreasonable, but it does want, and has an absolute right'to cocpeet, the. absolhte elimination of all dwcllinßS in the usirfal and ordinary cleanliness, Recencies, and wholcsomenes3 of a civilised colonial city cannot be maintained, and the necessary ed-opera-tron, for sanitary ends, on the part of each and oveiy householder.' Tct, olthough wo .ill practically agree, and although there aro laws and regulations enough on. the subject to form a library, the melancholy fact'remains ithaf-Auckland is not only/as it. ought not to be from tho point of view of. the sanitary expert, but contains grievous instance's of «ihitary negligence, as sanitation is understood , by the ordinary citizen. Wo have nil heard, and most of U3 have objected to, Mr Seddon's comtnente upon somo Auckland dwellings which he inspected irt , his. customary off -handedness, . arid . all of us lniwf' have in our minds incidents whioh have shown from time to time that the law is not as rigidly enforced as it oiight to be. Wβ are inclined to think that the law not toblame, and that if citizens do thoir duty at tlio coming munioipal election it would ho found much rnoro effective-in tlifl future than it lias been in tho past." These comments of the Herald leaderwriter fairly rspreeorit niiblio opinion on the subject. Tho thorough airing thoniatter is to receive is likely to lead to beneficial results, and a similar coiireo of dealing might well be adopted in other 'citiei of the' colony; wheTe the slum blot exists. Labour leaders, who desire to better tlio condition, of affairs, express their hearty satisfaction with the articles.