Minister Answers Questions About Rural Houses

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 95, 13 September 1950, Page 5

Minister Answers Questions About Rural Houses

Clarification of several points relating to the construction of rural houses has been given Federated Farmers in New Zealand by the Minister in Charge of State Advances, Mr J. R. Marshall. He has answered questions put to him in correspondence by Federated Farmers.

The essence of the questions and answers has been circulated to branches, and the Minister asked for an assurance by the federation that it concurred with the proposals. outlined. Extracts from the circular follow: Question: May an individual farmer guarantee the rent of a house if it is built on land adjoining his farm which he transfers to the State for that purpose? , Answer: It is not proposed to build a State rental house for an individual farmer. The purpose of the scheme—so far as State rental houses are concerned—is to provide accommodation for the casual worker; that is, for the man who is not employed entirely on the one farm, but whose services are spread over a number of farms with, perhaps, some part-time employment in the off-season on local body Work. Where an individual farmer . requires a house for a full-time permanent employee, his problem usually can be met under existing facilities.

Question: Is the Government prepared .to accept the guarantee for rent from a group of farmers in a district, and,' if so, what is the minimum number acceptable? Answer: The guarantee of rentals will be required from Federated Farmers and it will be left to you to seek any protection which you may require from individual branches of the organisation or from groups of farmers. Quesiion: If rents are guaranteed in accordance with the Minister’s request, will farmers in particular districts be able to evict the worker whose employment because his work is unsatisfactory? Answer: I am sympathetic with regard to this particular problem. The federation will, no doubt, through its legal advisors, take all possible steps to cover this point in arranging the terms of occupancy. Question: Will Federated Farmers or a group of farmers have to, pay the rent of a worker who becomes incapacitated through sickness or otherwise, or who resigns and will not vacate the house? In brief, how long under what specie fic conditions will the rent guarantee be required? Answer: It is proposed that the arrangement take the form of a lease by the federation in its incorporated capacity: “ ... . from the * corporation; the term of such lease to be 25 years and the federation itself, and no doubt through the respective branches and groups of farmers to arrange the terms of occupancy by the workers. It follows that the responsibility for payment of rental arising under the lease is a continuing one—for the period mentioned —and that the issues raised under the question in your letter will rest between the federation and the occupant.”