HOUSING SHORTAGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 243, 14 October 1925, Page 9

HOUSING SHORTAGE.

I MR. HOLLAND'S COMMENTS. \ (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, Tuesday. The Leader of the Parliamentary Labour party, Mr. H. E. Holland, at tbe Town Hall, South Dunedin, this evening, addressed a large and enthusiastic meeting. Referring to Mr. Coates' statements concerning housing conditions, he Bud that under the Government's reghn* a shortage of over 23,000 dwelling louses had been created, with 165,000 persons packed into overcrowded houses and tenements. One person in every seven was living under conditions described by the Government Statistician a B , as the worst, "distinctly dangerous," and, at the best, "unfavourable to the maintenance of a proper standard of health and decency." Twice ten thousand young couples entering upon matrimony had no homes in which to commence their married life, and frequently owners refused to let dwellings to famines with children. In the larger centres rents had risen enormously, and overcrowding was menacing both health and morality. In addition, as the Prime "Minister confessed, slum areas had ) developed. . Explaining the Labour party's housing Policy, Mr. Holland said they proposed to enter upon a vigorous house-building scheme by the State, and would also make State advances to persons desiring to build their own homes. The' houses built by the State would be let at rentals which the ordinary worker c ould afford to pay, and they would make it a criminal offence for an owner to refuse to let an empty dwelling solely because the family of the would-be tenant included children. . ilr. Holland proceeded to refer to *r. Coates' comparative statement of income taxation levied in New Zealand, and the different countries of the Empire. He said that when the Government wag trying to justify the last income tax reduction the Hon. A. D. Mcheod declared that New Zealand was *ne most' heavily income-taxed country ippfn the world. They now had Mr. Coates quoting figures previously quoted by the labour members, and for the same purPose, to prove that the wealthy taxpayer of New Zealand was in an infinitely better position than the taxpayer « any other part of the Empire. Mr. own figures demonstrated that there was no need for the latest tax reduction, which gave relief to the extent T f 150,000. Of this amount more than tt>7,ooo would go to benefit 28 taxpayers, jhcluding companies, firms and persons, fne balance of less than £87,000 would oe divided between about 36,000 other taxpayers. It was another case of gifts » the wealthy.