SERVICEMEN’S HOMES FIRST

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25276, 30 August 1947, Page 2

SERVICEMEN’S HOMES FIRST

PROTEST AGAINST ERECTION OF EXHIBITION BUILDINGS “Houses should be built first—exhibitions are not necessary. I think we should take a strong attitude against this sort of thing,” said Mr J. L. Menzies (Temuka) at the quarterly conference of the South Canterbury branches of the Returned Services’ Association, held at Waimate, when speaking in support of a remit from the Temuka branch, which urged that a protest should be made against proceeding with the construction of buildings for the Canterbury Centennial Exhibition while the housing problem existed. Mr Menzies congratulated Waimate on the work it had accomplished in providing homes for former servicemen. . Thousands of servicemen needed homes, and they should have first call on buildinp materials, said Mr G. A. Harris (Temuka). The centennial b-ildings would also make a demand on the ranks of skilled tradesmen, he added. Mr W. G. Tweedy (Timaru) said it was the duty of all Returned Services’ Association executives to watch for anything likely' to interfere with the housing programme for returned servicemen.. The remit should be carried on principle, in that such a project was a threat to the needs of servicemen. “I think we need a good deal more information before we go ahead with a too strongly-worded remit,” said Mr C. Miln (Canterbury district vicepresident). Builders considered that the housing problem might be solved by the time the Centennial Exhibition propect was undertaken. It was still in the nebulous stage, he added. The. majority of the materials used would not be needed for housing, although he admitted that skilled tradesmen would be required. After amendments were made, the remit was passed in the following form: “That this-conference of South Canterbury executives of the Returned Services’ Association lodges an emphatic protest with the Minister of Works against the buildings in the nronosed Canterbury Centennial Exhibition project being proceeded with unless and until sudh time as the housing problem has been satisfactorily disposed of.”