RENTS FOR STATE HOUSES

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22195, 11 September 1937, Page 7

RENTS FOR STATE HOUSES

LONDON COUNCILLOR SURPRISED [THE PRESS Special Service.] AUCKLAND, September 10. Surprise at the high scale of rents to be charged for State houses in New Zealand was expressed by the Very Rev. Canon J. Mahoney, for 12 years a Labour member of the London County Council, and still a member of the Council's Education Committee, who arrived by the Akaroa in the course of a world health tour. "You must have a very high standard of living here," he said, when pointing out that rents for new flats erected by the London County Council ranged from lis to £1 2s a week. Flats containing from one to four rooms with all modern conveniences, were being erected in large blocks all over the metropolitan area. "All dirty, verminous, and filthy old houses are being cleared away, and these fine new blocks of flats are replacing them," Canon Mahoney said. Slums were being turned into beautiful suburbs. Where 200 or possibly ?00 families were once crammed into a street there were now only 100. Each block of flats was set back from the street in spacious grounds. Plots of garden were available for each occupant, and the interest of flat dwellers in these amenities was evident from the formation of flower and vegetable guilds. The County Council provided prizes for the best displays, and tne guilds quickly brought to the attention of the owuir any neglected gardens. Canon Mahoney said the standard of living of the London worker was definitely rising. The education committee of the council was spending £17,000,000 annually on elementary, technical, and higher education, while the council was also providing remarkable medical and other services.