HOUSING DIFFICULTIES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16796, 21 July 1920, Page 2

HOUSING DIFFICULTIES.

POSITION AT NEW PLYMOUTH. STILL VERY ACUTE. There is a great, scarcity of houseaccommodation at New Plymouth, in common with other parts of-'tho Dominion, at the present notwithstanding the fact that numerous dwellings are being erected in all parts of the borough. , . J At the meeting of the Borough Council on Tuesday night Mr. R. Day,oorough inspector, wrote that there was a constant demand for land from men , who were without houses and who oould afford to put up a temporary building. Ho therefore suggested that a piece of land on the seaside end of Calvert Road, between the railway line and tlxe sea, be let for temporary shacks for men who required homes, .mi that conditions be made to secure their removal when required. a- . During the discussion it transpired that Mr. Day was under the impression the land referred to was portion of an unused road, but Councillor Collis said he believed that the land was now railway property, and therefore the inspector’s suggestions could not be acted upon. The matter was deferred in order to allow inquiries to be made. MILITARY HUTMENTS. There was a short discussion with reference to military hutments, and the hope was expressed that the council would he able to get a number of these in order to provide temporary relief owing ',o the extreme shortage of house . accommodation. It was decided to make application to the necessary authorities tor permission to purchase six of the hutments. HARBOUR BOARD, COTTAGES. FURTHER REPORT FROM BOROUGH INSPECTOR. The borough inspector (Mr. R. Day) submitted, the following report:— The report and eub-teader in the Herald to-night call for some comment. I reported conditions as I saw them, , and I stand .to every word I wrote. The cottages are in many respects in direct contravention to the most important sections of the borough bylaws and are of a type which town ■ planners, social workers and sanitary experts decry with no uncertain voice. The argument that they are of a temporary nature is not borne out by then - construction, and their life as, houses will be determined by demand* and reut, in other words ,£.s.d. The sub-leader infers that they are a typo of beach cottage.’ There are no such types in New Plymouth. The beach cottages were designed for summer shelter, yet every one of them is fully detached. The drainage is, admittedly, ' bad. The by-laws insist, and rightly so, that tenements shall be separated by sound-proof walls and a minimum frontage, while the statute provides for a minimum yard space. Neither of these provisions have been complied, with and the attached photo shows the joint yard of three' of these houses. I found in one of the. houses four single men, who slept in one room ; and in another room of the same size a

woman and her husband and two sons (aged 17 and 14), occupied th© same room. The borough by-laws say these rooms are only big enough for two, while the British Bocal Government Board says they are only big enough for three, and the Taranaki Herald says I was wrong in reporting the matter. ,

Mr.- Blair Mason says the report Js exaggerated, but he omits to mention that men were put to work on the drains, after my report was published. No one has denied that at the time, of my visit the sewage -was lying alongside the railway lino and that the only attempt at drainage led the' sewage of one house past the door of others. The reporter describes the new drains, which again do not conform to the bylaw nor to any sanitary rule laid down by anybody who knows' anything about it. It is interesting to bear that a drain which is not airtight is an' advantage. also that the drain is not objectionable. The reporter would do well to stick to something he knows something about, or ask a doctor if he is upholding the traditions of the press by eondoing such a drain as he describes. Tire question of satisfied tenants does not weigh in the matter. All the smug satisfaction in. the world would not make wrong right. The board', in deciding to build homes for its workmen, are to he commended. If the cottages had been properly designed they would have made the nucleus of a satisfactory permanent settlement at very'little extra cost. Four hundred pound has been spent on so ( - called temporary tenements, while less than £6OO would have made them suitable for permanent houses, and in the meantime they would have been something to he proud of.