MINERS’ HOUSES

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23809, 1 December 1942, Page 4

MINERS’ HOUSES

—♦ — CONDITIONS AT BURNETT’S FACE REPLY TO “ASPERSIONS BY MINISTERS” (P.A.) DUNEDIN, November 30. Speaking at the annual meeting of the Westport Coal Company, Ltd., of the need for more houses if the company's operations were to be extended, the chairman (Mr James Begg) said that it was necessary for him to refer to aspersions which certain Ministers of the Crown, who ought to have known better, had tried to cast upon the company from time to time in connexion with a few houses occupied by some of the company's employee.) at Burnett’s Face. “Let mo say, once and for all," Mr Begg added, “that the company owns no houses at Burnett's Face. The houses are owned by the occupants, who are Crown tenants and have been grn: _d residence sites for which they pay rent to the Government. This company has no jurisdiction whatever over the village of Burnett’s Face. “Mr Webb, in his capacity of Minister of Mines, is the ground landlord and collects the rents. If he considers action is necessary he has the remedy in his own hands.” Mr Begg said that the company had a reasonably liberal housing policy. Any employee who wished to build was provided with finance on liberal terms. The company had built many ’houses. Those were not pretentious, but were comfortable dwellings of from three to six rooms, with bathrooms, electric power, and hot and cold 'water. The rents ranged from 9s to 11s a week, and these rents did little more than pay for repairs and maintenance.