LABOUR AND HOMES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 219, 15 September 1943, Page 7

LABOUR AND HOMES

16,000 RENTAL HOUSES GROWTH OF STATE ADVANCES (P.A.) INVERCARGILL, this day. "Though some flats are inevitable in some of our cities, 1 hope New Zealanders will never become a nation of flat dwellers," said the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, in an address at lnvercargill last night. He was speaking of the Government's housing programme, and said the most spectacular achievement had been the erection of 1(3,000 State rental houses.

During the six years before Labour took office, 13,000 building permits for private dwellings had been taken out, and in six years under Labour 38,000 permits had been issued, added Mr. Fraser. In 193-1 State Advances loans for homes had numbered only ten. During Labour's term of office 8000 loans had been made, 5400 being on the special basis of up to 95 per cent of the cost, and in some cases 100 per cent. The National party's manifesto advocated the lending of 95 per cent of the cost of homes by the State Advances Corporation. Labour had already done that. "The National party manifesto is largely similar to our own," Mr.. Fraser said. "They look the same externally: They are the same from the lips outwards, but from the heart to the lips they are very different."