INSANITARY DWELLINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2840, 19 August 1908, Page 34

IN SANIT A R Y DWELLINGS.

deplorable state of affairs.

Th-3 result of the house-to-house inspoc* tion made by Mr W. E. Gladstone in the Borough of Gore and in West Gore and! Jacobstown discloses a most deplorable; condition of things. He found in Gore 564- nuisances existent, and in the other two places 72 nuisances, which bring the total up to 636. Of course, the term nuisances has a wide significance when used! . in this connection, and in quite twothirds of the 636 cases the nuisances were) of a minor character. The condition of things in many of tho other eases was 1 , however, most serious, the inspection, bringing' to light a filthy state of matters. At one place visited there were a number of dirty children running* about in tha back yard, and it was only by repeated! knockings that anyone was brought to the door, and a reluctant consent to make aa inspection of the premises obtained. The atmosphere in the house was very foul and evil smelling. In the first room there; was no furniture, save an old home-made table and two or three broken chairs. Th© whole place was indescribably dirty, thet floor evidently not having seen a broom for many a long day. In another room, equally filthy, such furniture as there was consisted of boxes. In the room oppositej in which the children 6lept, the bedding consisted of bagrs aud dirty torn old clothes', and ordinary djylv decencies had not been - attended to. In ■ the room in which .the" , parents slept the condition of things- was , equally bad. though it was afternoon, when" _ the visit was made. -In a lumber room at the back was a mass of dirty torn old ■ clothing hanging on nails. It was Stated! • that the husband was addicted to drink, - and on tho matter being reported by the . inspector charitable aid was granted' the _ family. In two other houses visited the/ accommodation was of the most limited kind, and there was consequent overcrowding. On© of the houses had only two small bedrooms, and these were occupied by nine persons, and in the other place there was only one bedoroom, and this was occupied by seven persons. This room was, roughly speaking, Bft by 10ft. Another' place of two rooms was visited in w h lo a. a woman had brought up a family of 12.