SLUM CONDITIONS

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXX, Issue 187, 16 August 1935, Page 2

SLUM CONDITIONS

Views of Women I ON WELLINGTON HOUSING — BIRTH CONTROL CLINICS! Slum housing conditions in Wellington'., itho inability of relief workers and •their families to obtain leases of dwellings from owners and agents, and the suggested establishment of clinics to give expert advice on birth control to women who are suffering acute social distress, were discussed with unusual frankness by a deputation from -the ' women’s section, of the National Unem- 1 .ployed Workers’ Movement which j waited yesterday afternoon on the Minister of Health. Hon. Sir Alexander Young. It was made clear during the candid discussion that neither the Minister nor members of the deputation had any desire to indulge in argument about social problems, hut that all were anxious to secure an improvement of conditions and to co-operate in effort to promote the welfare of every i community. Indeed, the Minister assured the de- j •putation that, in advocating better liv- ’ in.g conditions and better housing for 1 the unemployed and relief workers, he was with the deputation 100 per cent., provided it was not associated with any political attacks on any political party or with any movement aiming at violent changes in the order of society. A Serious Case to Present Mrs Freda Cook, the principal speaker, said the deputation had a serious case to present to the Minister and the Government. It dealt with the Wellington housing problem which, it was believed, was worse than in any other centre of population in the Dominion. Conditions were so demonstrably bad, particularly for relief workers and their families, that the women’s council of the National Unemployed Workers’ Movement, having the complete support of all those associated with it, felt that it was imperatively necessary to ask the Government to .enact legislation for rent re-

striction and also preventing landlords from charging rents hopelessly beyond the means of tenants. The council suggested that rents should be fixed at from 10s to 15s a week. Even those rents were a severe burden upon relief workers. The courts were full of eviction orders, and hardship was both widespread and acute. Mrs Cook, after emphasising that she had no desire to exaggerate conditions, specifically referred to some of "the horror spots in Wellington.” Scandalous things were happening. She cited several authentic eases of grotesque overcrowding, the worst, being the case of 11 persons, including eight children, herding in a small fourroomed shack with outer corrugated iron walls —a hovel destitute of a hath or even wash-tubs. The water tap was outside. "For this horrible place,” Mrs Cook said, "the rent is 15s a week.” Another hovel, no better, was swarming with rats. The rent for this place was 13s a week. Birth Control Urged Referring to cases of acute hardship in which children were being born m I a miserable environment, Mrs Cook ' said that expert clinical instruction on j birth control should be provided by the ' Government. I Sir Alexander Young: Are you definitely advocating birth control? Mrs Cook: "I am definitely recommending that clinics should be established so long as the present deplorable conditions exist.” She referred to what was happening in the public hosj pitals, where two wards were given over to the treatment of women.

The Minister suggested that the question should be referred to and discussed by women’s organisations.

M,rs E. Barnes discussed the plight of relief workers who were being evicted from their homes because of inability to pay rent. She asserted • that the Public Trustee and property j agents had been instructed not to let dwellings to relief workers. She also , quoted several desperate eases of evic-, tion. What was to be done about it? | Were these unfortunate families to be deported to a desert island? They were entitled as New Zealanders to have

homes somewhere. She mentioned that municipal property had been vacant in the city for a long time, and suggested that .the empty shops should be converted into residential flats at a moderate rental. One house had been empty for two years because the owner demanded a rent of £3 a week for it. Such properties should be taken over by the State and made available for people who needed homes.

Government’s Policy ■Sir Alexander Young, in reply to the deputation, said the housing problem was receiving attention by the Government. It really concerned the municipal authorities, but a special committee had considered the problem, and would report to the Government soon after the return of the Ministerial delegates to London. He did not know the findings of .the committee, but he had been given, to understand that it would he necessary for the Government to obtain statutory authority to make a .thorough survey of the housing problems throughout the Dominion. As regards other questions raised by the deputation he said he had been interested in a statement by a. member of it that rents in. Auckland w’ere only about half of the -charges in Wellington. "That may or may not be on examination,” he added, "but 1 notice that the Auckland City Council is spending about £20.000 on housing. There is no reason why the Wellington City Council should not move along the same lines. The Government.

is going into the whole question.”