SLUMS CONDEMNED.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20266, 28 March 1934, Page 1

SLUMS CONDEMNED.

Cave-dweller* Were Better Off. LONDON, March 24 “ Our ancestors dwelt in caves under better conditions than some of our present-day slum-dwellers,” said *.he Minister of Health (Sir Edward Tl’iton Young), when explaining the Government’s housing policy to a conference of municipalities. “If the slum-clearance campaign is fulfilled, no man, woman or child will be living in a house unfit to be a human dwelling. “ Nevertheless, there is a second stage of the crusade which demands attention, namely, preventing the evil of overcrowding, which the Government is determined to attack after the slum campaign.” Sir Edward added that the Government was at present spending more than thirteen millions a year on housing, but the outlay was largely ‘neffective, because the use of the subsidy was not properly controlled. The Government’s policy was that re-housing must be carried out in the neighbourhood of the original homes, which usually were in the inner areas of cities, where land was dear. The area, accordingly, must be built up in flats, which were less expensive than small houses. Although the subsidies would impose a large burden on the Exchequer, every penny would earn a direct return in the removal of slums and overcrowding. Sir Edward Hilton Young told the House of Commons on Wednesday that the Government’s five-year plan provided for the demolition of 266.851 slum houses and their replacement by 285,189 houses in order to rehouse 1.240.000 persons. The ultimate cost of the scheme was £115.000,000.