THE HOMELESS IN CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 831, 8 February 1906, Page 24

THE HOMELESS IN CHRISTCHURCH.

The Christchurch “ Press” is perturbed about the facilities provided for the reception of the thousands of visitors that will flock to Chr’stchurch at the forthcoming Exhibition. It appears, accord ng to our contemporary, that there will be nowhere, except on the proverbial clothesline, foi’ the majority of the strangers to sleep; and the picture it draws of the hordes of homeless wandering the streets of Christchurch night after night vainly clamouring at the doors of overcrowded hotels and boardinghouses for a room ; n which to sleep is pitiable in the extreme. “ Nothing short of hole’s—first-class hotels—will meet the wants of thousands of people who will coma here during the six months the Exhibit'on is open; and the duty of providing decent and comfortable means! of living for all is qu n 'te properly cast on the Exhibition authorit'es.” It appears that the Transport Committee was instructed to deal with the matter; but no report has yet been given to the public. The manager of Warner’s stated tn a “ Press” reporter that already he has 100 rooms booked for Carnival week, and that is half the ava’lable accommodation. The management of another very popular house intends doubHng its accommodation before November, and a third establishment has under consideration thie renovation of the pre-

mises, but no addit’ons are contemplated. The obvious deduction, therefore, is that the innocent traveller from oversea or d stant parts of New Zealand will be in the proverbial ho e” if he does not make his arrangements months beforehand, or if the Exh bition authorities do not erect a building, up-to-date in every respect, for the accommodation of, say, 1000 persons.