RURAL HOUSING

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25550, 19 July 1948, Page 3

RURAL HOUSING

LACK OF INFORMATION ON FARMERS’ NEEDS

In September and December last year he had asked provincial executives throughout New Zealand to supply the number and location of State houses required in their districts, so that the information could be given to the Government, which had stated that it was prepared to build State houses in rural areas nine months later, it was stated in a letter from the research officer on the staff of Dominion headquarters of Federated Farmers (Mr D. L. M. Martin), which was considered by the South Canterbury Provincial Executive of Federated Farmers.

“I have not yet received information from the following provinces:—Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne. Wairoa. North Taranaki. South Taranaki. Wellington Central, Golden Bay, West Coast, North Canterbury,

South Canterbury. North Otago, and Southland,” he said. “If I do not receive a reply within the next month from the provinces mentioned I shall assume that State houses are not required,” he concluded. “While we have been critical in the past we now seem to be uncertain what to do.” said the president (Mr R. W. L. Beattie) when members expressed varying opinions on the needs of their districts. Mr A. Botting said that an application had been made for a house at Clandeboye, and Mr K. Guy said that Albury had made an estimate of its requirements. There were empty houses in the Pleasant Point district and in Pleasant Point there had been no demand for State houses, said Mr H. L. Ryan. There was no cry for houses in the Geraldine district, said Mr G. Johnston. Everyone who was in the country was housed. If an application was made for houses in the country then there was a chance of attracting people back into rural areas, said Mr J. Pavey. It was decided that branches should j furnish the requirements of their dis- | tricts to the provincial secretary.