HOUSE RENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 66, 19 March 1931, Page 10

HOUSE RENTS.

"SHOULD GOME DOWN." REFORM LEADER'S FLEA. CASE OF RAILWAY WORKERS. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. A point-blank statement from the Government that landlords are expected to reduce rents during the present depression was advocated by the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, Leader of the Opposition, in the House to-day during his speech on the Finance Bill. "At the earliest opportunity," said Mr. Coates,v "the Government should say straight out, 'We expect you to reduce rents.'" • ' Mr. P. Fraser (Labour, Wellington Central): Blessed is he who expecteth nothing! "What about reducing interest rates?" asked Mr. J. McComhs (Labour, Lyttelton). Mr. Coates: I have dealt previously with that question. I repeat that you cannot reduce in'erest rates while the Government is on the market at 5£ per cent. When the Government lowers its rates, you will find that the others will come down. too. Dealing with the increased rents of railwaymcn, Mr. Coates inquired whether i he 10 per cent wages "cut" would apply to them. "For the life of me," he said, '1 cannot understand why the recommendation of the commission dealing with the rents of railway houses should have been given effect." "Is not the remedy to take the 'cut' off';" asked Mr. Fraser when Mr. Coates hud quoted an individual case. Mr. Coate*: Whatever the remedy iB, this man is entitled to it. The case I have quoted is a mild one. I have knowledge of others where the increase in rent has been as great as 300 per cent. I think it is a wrong policy. We shc/uld be bringing costs down, not increasing them." The Hon. W. A. Veitch, Minister of Railways; Public notice was given ucehtly that the rents were being , wised. Mr. Coatee: I think they should be.