MINERS' HOMES.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1674, 26 June 1919, Page 3

MINERS' HOMES.

GLOOMY CONDITIONS. A DREARY PICTURE.

PERMANENT CAUSE OF UNREST.

Much of the industrial unrest and dissatisfaction of the miners may be attributed to the sordidness of their housing conditions and

monotony of their home-life.

This significant paragraph is the prelude to the discussion of the housing and social conditions of the miners in the Boanl of Trade's report on the coal industry, and in a few words it summarises a most important conclusion. The report states that the representatives of the workers, early iu the inquiry, asked the board to give special attention to housing conditions; and the inspections which the board made of the mining villages at Huntly, Pukemiro, Rotowaro, Glen Massey, Nightcaps, Kaitangata, Runanga, Blackball, Benniston, Burnett's Face, Millerton, and Ngakawau, showed that iu many eases the general conditions were exceedingly bad. "Few of the houses in these townships reached the standard of comfort seeu iu the average workers' homes in our cities. There is no proper water-supply or drainage, and only in isolated instances, are there bath-rooms. The conditions generally are insanitary, and in certain fields the surroundings are dreary in the extreme. Iu spite of the disadvantages under which the occupants labour, some of the houses ifre kept in an excellent manner, and there are not a few well-cultivated gardens, tended with the greatest care and pride, but these stand out as isolated examples on these fields among the general mass of inconvenient, unhealthy, and crowded homes."

INDIVIDUAL FIELDS. * Individualising the fields, the report states that at Huntly there is n great shortage of houses and a comprehensive building schelne should be undertaken. Only rain-water is available for domestic supply, there is no playground for the children, and no local hospital. There is a good deal of overcrowding and in one case, a house of three rooms, is occupied by seven people. The rental is 8/- per week. The Taupiri Company holds sufficient land on which to build a model suburb, with all conveniences and suitable environment.

At Rotowaro, a newly-established mining village near Huntly, eight houses had been erected on a suitable site about a mile from the mine in readiness for occupation by mine-workers. Mr S. Hurst Seager, whose aid was invoked by the commission in dealing with this subject, expressed the opinion that these houses were far too expensive, and he advocated the erection of a larger number of a cheaper for* of construction, these to be disposed on town-planning lines. At Pukemiro, near Huntly, a new mining settlement, 10 houses have been erected by the Pukemiro Collieries Company, but most of the huts occupied by the miners should be condemned as unfit for habitation.

At Glen Massey, in the Waikato district, the housing is totally inadequate for the needs of the workers, and overcrowding exists. "In one case, a miner, with his wife and five children, is living in a two-roomed cottage, and in another ease there are five persons (three children) living in two rooms." At least 10 roomy houses are required for immediate needs.

The huts provided by the Waipa Company at present have no fire-places or water tauks, and both tlie.se necessary conveniences should be provided.. The company had bought sufficient land near the mine, and was prepared to sell sections at from £35 to £4o—the price paid for them —and also to cany housing material over the railway free of cost. IN THE SOUTH ISLAND.

Referring to the South Island mines, the first one dealt with is that at Avoca, belonging to the Mount Torlesse Company, aud situated in the Canterbury district on the Midland line, some 70 miles from Ckristehurch. '' No houses have been provided for the miners, but tents have been placed in a valley subject to Hoods, and some in positions with a very meagre supply of sunshine, so that in winter, for two months in the year, it is impossible to dry any clothes in the open. There is a "plateau about two miles from the mine, with a gentle slope towards the east, on which a properly-designed garden village could be formed. The soil is good, the climate fine and healthy, and excellent gardens could be made. - ' The company had made application, through the' board, for monetary assistance from the Government for the erection of miners' dwellings. The sum of £50,000 had been applied for, and as it was necessary that some provision should be made for the workers during the coming winter, the board ttsked°that the request should be favourably considered, provided the reports from the mining experts as to the probable life of the mine were satisfactory. Kaitangata, four miles from Stirling, which is on the main line between Duuedin and luvercargill, is reported as undoubtedly one of the most favourablysituated settlements inhabited by miners. Many of the miners had cultivated gardens and were able to grow their own vegetables. The housing conditions generally were extremely good. The sections were mostly a quarter-acre in extent. There was urgent necessity for good drainage aud water supply. Nightcaps was not inspected by Mr Hurst Seager, but the board found the conditions much the same as in other mining townships as to overcrowding, lade of sanitary conveniences and drainage, though the majority of the houses were substantial and stood in ample I'naces. THE WEST COAST. Euuanga, eight miles from Greymouth, is the settlement where reside the majority of the miners employed at the State Mines. The report states that there was not much evidence of overcrowding or shortage of houses at present, but a better type of house was required to take the place of many of the inferior homes which exist. The Government owns seveu houses of five iooms each, which are let for 8/- per week. These were regarded as satisfactory homes. A better water supply and drainage system was required to ingake Runanga one of the most desirable Mining villages. At Blackball, situated some 20 miles from Greymouth, "the housing is cert:\inly extremely bad, ami the huts, which were put up by the Blackball Company, and for which it charges 2/0 per week, are very unsatisfactory. The windows are fixed, so that they cannot l?e opened, and the doors have to be left ajar to admit air." There were a :iumber of empty houses in the village, but few were fit for occupation. Houses of four rooms let from 7/- to 12/- per week. "There is no drainage —only rain-water pans, but no system of emptying—and in some cases there are cessjiits." At Roa, a few miles from Blackball, all the houses are owned by the Paparoa Company. The workers complained that the huts were often over-

crowded—two or three workers occupying a hut with accommodation fit for one man only—and that the water supply and drainage system were bad. The company claimed that it was willing to do all that was possible to supply the miners with proper homes, but that it was handicapped by the dearth of labour.

The houses at Benniston and Burnett's Face (Buller mining field) were considered by Mr Hurst Seager to be extremely bad. A model village should be formed on the plateau which lies half a mile frant Denniston towards Burnett's Face. There were at Waimangaroa, Benniston, and Burnett's Face, .''.75 houses and a population of 1500 people.

No reference is made to the actual housing conditions obtaining at the Granity and Millerton mines, but it is suggested that a model township could be constructed at Millerton and another at Stockton. The Westport-Stoekton Company had built six four-roomed and two three roomed houses of a good type, and they were being sold to the miners at the rate of 10/- per week. A GLOOMY PICTURR. Tn some general remarks on housing, the report states that "in many of the mining settlements, the housing is generally of a rough or temporary nature. Many of the huts were erected in the early days of settlement, and still do duty as the homes for the mine worker and his family. In nianysCafies no ordinary conveniences have been added, nor have any extra rooms been built, so that overcrowding is rife. "The great, majority of the houses have no porches or verandahs, consequently the children have to crowd into these small shacks in wet weather.

"It need hardly be emphasised that the climatic conditions in most of the coalmine districts are not good, and on the West Coast, where the rainfall averages over 100 inches per year, there is every need for the dwellings to be roomy and bright, and to provide ample drying facilities for the miners' clothes.

"Apart from overcrowding, there are the added evils of lack of drainage, lack of sanitation and means of bathing. At Burnett's Face and Denniston (near iWestport) the housing conditions are generally deplorable. Both townships are in a disgracefully dirty state; the surface drainage is extremely bad; there are no fences or privacy, and there are no baths in any of the houses, the occupants using kerosine tius and tubs. '' There are few trees and no flowers or gardens to brighten the general dreariness and desolation, and to these drawbacks are added all the disadvantages of a wet, cold and foggy climate." The board strongly urged the building of a new village settlement, as recommended by Mr Hurst Seager. HAPHAZARD D EVBLOPM ENT. The Commission condemns the generally haphazard way in which the mining towns have been permitted to develop. "Generally there has been little thought for the health, convenience or comfort of the workers who are called upon to live on the sites marked out. The hopelessness of the attempt to make comfortable homes under the conditions provided tends to create callousness and an utter disregard for the amenities of life, and to acceptance of conditions of housing similar to those found in the Old World as the result of extreme poverty.

"There is considerable discontent with the conditions which exist, and there is an earliest desire on all sides to have them bettered. One aspect of the problem is presented by instances coining under our notice where the miner and his wife and a large family are living in two or three rooms, and are perfectly contented. The father, on being questioned, said he did not wish for anything better. In cases of this kind it is necessary to protect the workers from themselves, in order that the children may be brought up in proper living conditions." GENERAL CONDITIONS. The rents paid by the miners are cheaper than the rents paid by workers in the cities, but the men realise that they would have to pay more for comfortable homes, and generally they are prepared to pay the extra cost. It is not merely in the matter of inadequate housing that the social conditions of the miners are lacking. The miners complain also of lack of doctors and qualified nurses; lack of maternity homes; lack of hospitals; the high cost of medical and nursing attention; and lack of higher educational facilities for their children. The board urges, as remedial measures, that there should be provided suitable housing accommodation on the mining fields; that the Goal Board (proposed) be empowered to impose a levy of 3d per ton on all coal raised in the Dominion, to be supplemented by a duty of 3d per ton on all imported coal for the purpose of providing interest and sinking fund charges for loans to build houses, a*hd to pro-, vide suitable means of recreation for mine workers on recognised townplanning lines. The probable duration of the industry would warrant this step being taken. It is suggested that the miners should be encouraged to form in each centre a Housing Committee, to see that the houses and gardens are kept in proper order, ami to advise the Coal Board of the needs of the district. It is also recommended that there be established, wherever needed, motor ambulance depots, with a small dispensary, and a maternity hospital with a bed or two for emergency purposes.