CREATING SLUMS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20280, 14 April 1934, Page 29 (Supplement)

CREATING SLUMS.

8000 Evictions in Sydney in 14 Months. CANON" HAMMOND'S CHARGE. (By JOHN C. MOFFITT.)’ (Special to tlie “ Star.*’) SYDNEY, April 7. One of the few great practical philanthropists in this country is Canon Hammond, and the public recognition of liis admirable work on behalf of the destitute and suffering has made him an accepted authority on all such social questions. Last week the canon, who was addressing the Women’s Guild of Empire, declared that instead of getting rid of its slums Sydney is creating more slums, if not in "the city, then in its immediate vicinity. Hound and about Sydney, lie said, there are over 700 settlements of unemployed, where several thousands of men, women and Children are living in conditions that should be intolerable in any civilised country. The canon then made a statement which seems to have shocked the conscience of the whole community. He stated that “within the past 14 months 8000 families, including 25,000 children, have been evicted from their homes’’; and, of course, have gone into the unemployed camps or crowded into already congested slums. Mr. Stevens docs not as a rule pay much attention to comments of this kind unless they have a distinctly political bearing. But these figures were too formidable to ignore, and the Premier proceeded to “correct” them—r-at least so we were assured by the “Sydney Morning Herald.” Mr. Stevens, after surmising that Canon Hammond had been misinformed or had misunderstood the figures, went on to say that, in the period mentioned, there had been not 8000 evictions, but only 25. “Out of His Own Mouth.” But the canon at once replied that hi* figures were approximately correct, and lie proceeded to convict ’the Premier “out of his own mouth.” For Mr. Stevens, in his statement to the “Herald,” had admitted that, in the given period, nearly 6400 “orders to quit” had been issued, and that, of the. tenants who received notice, over 4100 “made fresh arrange-; ments” and vacated their homes before the time limit expired. As to "the remaining 2247, “warrants for possession” were taken out against them, and all but 25 found “temporary accommodation” elsewhere. So, says jVIr. Stevens,• only 25 were actually evicted. It is amazing that the Premier should put up so poor a caee and risk the severe handling to which Can op Hammond and other critics at once subjected him. Why should Canon Hammond’s opinion on such a question carry so much weight with the people of Sydney? The answer to that briefly is that he has done more to solve the problems pf poverty here than any other man, private or public, in the State. In the first place he has organised and he superintends eight hostels for the unemployed in the city. There is accommodation Toy 330 single men, and for 05 married, couples with 140 children. All these people are unemployed and are on the dole; but they hand over the dole allowance for their food. They stay there till they get work, and last year the Canon found employment for 240 of them. Fag, More Valuable Scheme. 1.“8.ut.; : ;ljjjfeTias carried out a far mort impprta*|t and valuable scheme than >tfus - outside the city. Twenty miles “SUtIV of "Sydney—2 i miles from Liverpool—there has grown up a little village, which bears its founder’s namp—Hamraondville. There are here mord than 30 houses, each standing in an acre of gronnd, and each occupied by a family, including at least three children. The land at Hammondville, bought ..bv subscription, cost about £3500, and the finances are administered by a little group of trustees, including the Federal Minister of Contmeiee (Mr. Stewart), and an ex-Lord Mayor —Sir Samuel Walder. Each house costs £IOO to build—w : tli three rooms, kitchen, bath i oom and large verandah. The houses are “sold” to the unemployed tenants, whq pay off the purchase money at the rate of 5/a week, and at the end of three years they have the option of purchasing the place for £75. Every tenant must cultivate the .ground, and ciip return from the fruit, vegetables and flowers is already, in some cases, quite a substantial item. The trustees make nothing out of the tenants, as 'all food is supplied at cost price. The aim of this system of “settlement” is to give the unemployed a chance of working and securing homes for themselves, with the help of tlieir dole allowance, and to give the , children a chance of growing up under healthy and happy conditions. Already the scheme has succeeded beyond, the most sanguine anlicipations. His - Excellency Sir Philip Game, and a number of our leading citizens—Sir JI. Braddon, Sir Kelso King, Sir Arthur Richard, Sir John Sulman—have publicly expressed their admiration; for the great work done here by Canon Hammond, arid their satisfaction at its success.' There is a superintendent to Watch over the estate;* but the men have. fpjmed a Progress Association for themselves, add the women have an auxiliary association. There are about 100 children : attending, the school, which is staffed by the Education Department. And so Canon Hammond lias proved that the Government could, if it chose, put the unemployed “on the land” in threeroomed cottages at a cost of 1/3 per week. Three years ago all this was only “the wild idea of an unpractical Canon’s own words—but lie ha-s made his dream come true.