CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 181, 10 November 1910, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

A PHARASAICAL EFFUSION. In his letter of yesterday, "William Mervyn Jones" contrasts the maimers of tlie South Islanders with the North, to the latter's disadvantage, the absura imputation being that Sabbath observance lias something to do with the disparity. As a "cultured person," oui correspondent is naturally entitled to use our columns to attack Taranaki people, whom he does not find hospitable. His letter would indicate to the least cultured person that Mr. Jones is suffering under a personal grievance. Some unfortunate Taranaki person has not treated this great linguist with the humble deference that his talents deserve, and the follower of the humble Nazarene is "getting his own back. The type of unctious holiness which trots forth church-going kaffirs as examples to Taranaki people should certainly go back to its kafl'irs, and it is evident, by Mr. Jones' own showing, that the "parson-boy's" invitation made him admire all those devout kafl'irs, because the "boys" welcomed the "white baas." Mr. Jones deliberately insults Taranaki folks by comparing them to kaffirs, he exalts himself by advertising his holiness, his lingual capabilities and his superiority, and if he "feels like a square peg in a round hole," in the name of common sense why doesn't he get] out of the hole and go back to his kaffirs? He mentions that some North Islanders go to church as a matter oi form. Is this peculiar to New Zealand, or does it happen, in Wales too, or Cornwall, or in any other place? Mr. Jones admits that he attended the Dutch kaffir church in South Africa "out oi curiosity." Why? It was so obviously a species of vanity that he might have stayed outside and worshipped alone on the veldt. We do not find that Taranaki people are less hospitable or less religious than other people. But we notice that Taranaki people do not assess people of the type of our correspondent at their own valuation. Even if Mr. Jones learns another three or four languages he will find that unless he can speak in the language of the heart the people of Taranaki will neither fall down and worship him, nor the strange gods that he believes in. It so evidently hurts Mr. Jones to live among a race of barbarous, illiterate and irreligious gamblers, who do not speak seven languages, that it would surprise no one to be told that he had left the country for the Congo, where the manners and customs of the people are more in accordance with Mr. Jones' sense of" fitness and decorum.

THE PEOPLES' DWELLINGS. Demonstrating the fact that Britain's •rowded areas infrequently get burnt out, the Housing Committee of the London County Council are about to demolish 15% acres of slums at Southward These are the slums of a eoupls of centuries, and date from the rebuilding after the Great Fire. It is inconceivable that any area of houses in New Zealand could last quarter as long without an "incendiary rat' carrying a fatai match into it. We quote this fact in connection ■ with the London County Council to show that the municipalities of the Old Country have for the past decade entered very earnestly into the question of healthily housing the people. As a nation, New Zealand is in short pants, so to speak, but the housing of the people, especially in the too crowded cities, is of as great importance as it is in London. There are areas in each of the four cities where the "incendiary rat" would be a blessing, if he did not carry his match too far. The fact that as a rule this type of rodent does not carry his devastation into the slum areas is not because he does not inhabit it but because policies of insurance are unusual on the property; the slum dwellers keep in hired dwellings, and the landlords themselves do not live within the areas. The London County Council has thought it necessary to carry on a great campaign against dirt, disease and insanitation for the past ten years, and the echoes of the battle may have reached the ears of the municipalities of New Zealand. Most travelling councillors having examined London, with its inconceivably great machinery for the comfort and health of its millions, return to their councils confident that they have nothing to learn. They have to learn, and the people generally have to learn, that New Zealanders who are not wealthy are badly housed, that a campaign against thy growth of slums and the aggregation of jerry buildings is as necessary in this Dominion as it is in London, and that the spirit of speculation—something for nothing—is the chief reason for the evils of the match-carrying rat and the growth of slums. •

THE EATS' PAEADISE. A sinister inference is contained in the fact that the fire losses throughout the Dominion last year totalled £420,000, a loss which, per capita, is greater than that of any other country in the world. Why dwellings and business places in New Zealand should be more subject to conflagration than those of other countries is a question that is not readily answered. The fact that the majority of dwellings are built of inflammable timber may be a reason for many of the fires. Indifferent workmanship in the erection of buildings is known to be a cause. Years ago Captain Hugo strongly commented on this fact, and emphasised the extremely "shoddy"' nature of many buildings in which it had been impossible to control outbreaks. Perhaps the speculative tendency, which is the most prominent feature of national life here, is responsible for many accidental ignitions, but it is not clear' that the rats which carry all the wax matches that begin the damage have perused the policies covering losses. There has never been any serious effort on the part of fire insurance companies to combat the evil of over-insurance. If a small risk is worth taking, an inventory and valuation of the goods covered is also worth taking. If builders neglect to build chimneys that are not fireproof, there seems to be a reason why fire insurance companies should make a special feature of examining construction. The exorbitant values placed on dwelling houses of the flimsiest description in New Zealand has given us a class of house that would hardly be tolerated by controlling bodies outside this country. Weatherboard houses, such as are common in every part of the Dominion, are all friends of the rat who carries the match, for every wall is a flue of the most helpful description. The hollcwv wall made of fourth-class timber in New Zealand costs more than the solid wall made of material not readily inllammable used in other countries. It is reasonable to assume that if New Zealand is not a nation of incendiaries that faulty construction with the most inflammable' material is the cause of the huge crop of fires. The cure lies in the hands of the imr.iieipalities and the insurance companies. The simple fact that crowded Europe is freer fror.: fires than sparse!v peopled New Zealand is one that should appeal to insurance companies who gladly take risks on properties thev never see. ._, .