CORRESPONDENCE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12881, 14 May 1913, Page 8

CORRESPONDENCE.

■' " -.■••-, — mm : — BUILDING ON UNHEALTHY SITES.

To the Editor. •Sir,—Will you allow me, "an otifaider.l of.ypur. municipal area, to express nay opinion on a subject of considerable^ importance to the dwellers within * the gates of. your town. I have during, the few years "of my acquaintance of your town, noticed the remarkable progress in aesthetics, viz., the. science of the beautiful, the philosophy of taste. You, sir, kho,w that-the evidence of this science is. met with on livery hand by the wanderer through your streets, and that *it is a powerful factor in ni&king life sweeter and developing the higher life in : mankind. In cases there arises ' factors that mitigate the - full '.• apipreciation of, the beautiful. Envy may in some be one of the factors; it is a product that arises from the lower or barbarian in man. Invariably the Higher gain the mast"■-, over the vibrations and ;discords,of envy. It is not my' intention *tib reason out the various factors that may .arise. My purpose* is to deal with oho factor which sometimes- may: divert 1 theij thoughts? from tho of the beautiful to the risks undertaken by. Isbme of - the dwellers in erecting or building^ their" ■ libusesr on an unhealthy site* I any only «a visitor, apd in recording my impressions I trust they will,bef read in the >: same spirit as I^am writing them,; for* I am thoroughly convinced in my own niind that the errors and mistakes ■afe made quite: unintentionally by the m'aj'oritv of tfiosp ' building on such. sites:1 .1 have seen on low, damp soils, • /winter lias w^ter lying on it, m horticulture is termed water-logged land, and tho modo of y procedure for preparing such :l4nd for.."' building a house on it by s'om*e> of your inhabit-^ .ants "isLtb~£art, refuse, sand or- soil' oft " *"°:area, sand raise the level of'the site arfpdt or more, arid-on ithis the house in biiilt. I. have-never yet. seen any propei-. system, of the drainago of the 'site carried' out, or any deodorizing materials applied on the site, so as to mitigate the unheatihy: evils which will arise sand, percolate" into the house; v 1! am-.- confident-that many of riiy readers' could point out houses-erected on such.-' sites,,'iand from personal knowledge bear' te^timonv to the bad effect on th"<p health, /; of the occupants of such a'hoiuei-' I* veniujre,, to suggest to your new aM: P loß*, .worthy Mayor iand his collea^aek; in office, that it would' be a step of crihv ■siderablq Advancement, -and" a gi'eafc": booh -to ; your town, if: the Council,: ,wlien^.' requests for permits to erect' : dw.elhn,f:-houses came before them, saw ,^p it; .phiai due consideration to ,the sites conditions will be given. Arid on. such as indicated, no permits will bo grafted unless the; applicant showp *v proper system of drainage; and afl iii the. wisdom ..<pf .jthes Council, deodorizing materials .^hould Ai»§ vV'apfjHed- to the t sites., the. applicants must .do-., so .^ Possibly before, granting the: permits the Council's health officer should furnish a report of the condition of the "sites" and affirm, to. the satisfaction of. the Council the essential measures required, and the health officers should not only, pay particular. attention to the aforesaid sftes,,but ,the.v Should inspect. with, oar© any proporalfor buildine^ house on a site «t the foot or middle of a slope, wJier^tliere m the- liability of water afterifeßXdischrarging or cauf»mp; dampness. I have seen XveryV bid', results from":the careless.preparatipn of thq soilsjin; such-sites, I am '-iakluz' ■■» for granted tEa^ |he--Conncil-. has the powetvtq; enforce legitimate mean.*? to protect and-safetruard thehealth of .tho inhabitants;, Ktiowing- .as--1; dol 4 somethiTse:.of the; det";montM effects to" 5 h.?;.ft esl. tn'..-<>f, in ->s,ucfi.«sW,e^.;t.have..^elr9fOTbjfM!t oongtrairi^ ed ?tb"'Veiltui'e aifd . record' m-y^ifnprW--Hfll?W W"J°«| saDfTvf^ do not for*;a <?S^^^^^^^y^iP^' 'ta-'-fa-:----;^?*Sst:^^"»eileet his $w&j&!y-:, ciilors. On the <3ontrary J I.'belfeve^a genuin^ desireifor, thehealth oTyifie i^:-' i habitfttits -has Jheeint '©; ruling iactQß 4£ the istdihinjgtrations of .ybflr;counciijtors, but the condition- oi »ffair^th©| rajjiij ' growth .tff the poj»ul|tj^|^Va«d i 'the Tx?**i .e^ enf*"':<? incrMseiatiiiually' in the, build,iii£. of houses,' -cbnvmces' irie' tlisif tliero jij-e.arens^f-liwia wHich^are a^ /will be used as s.rte.B:4f«i»tbuildii3tg%9m^: on-j and as some of these areas' irri|fieir present condition are njbt healthy Sites ibr bu'lldine:- dwelling-hbußes on. T&ese contijtionn have to be ;faced in the iad•njinistration of-your^to!^n's business by your^new^tMaydr; and/fliis colleagues; 1 liave every *cotigdeii<ie'iin beljev--: mg that my: im^r^i^^^gnlx-.^re^' flex of the opiniotdQ^hißljl by^Any members of.yourcbffii§ttThity;l;*h»refbre. al- : though I'jain 'an oti^tide'tV a D g na^ 'ven?7 tured' to ;f ecoi-d: any impressions, V r hAj^i' .ftO'.ne.§o' because: the re^ity of tho^Sm ; is >{amil|ac>tb» me(.;andf'these risksaopeal to irie w,fth opnsidiefratble force. "The wireless messages of th<? confiit'on'sj tho evils and dangers, are recorded with unfailmg tenacity ,upon me. hence, if my h.u;mble;;ai3KDeal |o ; vou.r new" and TOs3s wm&KjjJM^pr «nd "his? cctHoaguess 1* borrleJipriie to "CKem I.with the'sariie*: ( force and power as the are to mej I am confident the impprt>anee of deafingf with buildiTia:. areas! willbe tackled in- a business-like and scientific mariner; and- they. wiJLj;emove> tlie faeioV■ ; that sometiriYeVcauses a diKcprd in the contemplate of t^^beautiful in your 'trusting- Mi-. Ed-V .Jjtoi1. : tha>t ray r.emarjys Will be accepted ,tne ;iame...spiiut,. as I'Scm - -writing* theiri; «ntl3 :'-m.og be phoned for so presuming, jny^fch for- yjrnir great suncese. '23£ am, etc., -fDHN CAMKRON. '