Miss Howard Speaks Of "Rent Racketeering”

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31211, 8 November 1966, Page 18

Miss Howard Speaks Of "Rent Racketeering”

“Rent racketeering” which had developed since the National Government lifted rent restrictions would be combated by a Labour government, the Labour candidate for Sydenham, Miss M. B. Howard, M.P., told 22 persons at a meeting at the Beckenham School Hall last evening. “A Labour government will amend the Tenancy Act to protect the good tenant and the good landlord,” she said. “The gradual erosion of tenancy and rent protection since the present government took office will be arrested. “These rent racketeers have treated people terribly. They’ll have to pay for it one day—here or in the next world.”

A house buyer’s protection bill would be one of the first pieces of legislation dealt with once a Labour government took office.

“The income bar for state house tenants will be raised to £950 a year, plus an additional £7B for each child,” Miss Howard said. “Ordinary income only will be counted, excluding overtime and bonus payments. Urgent steps will be taken to accelerate the construction of pensioner housing. “We will give special attention to high density housing and multi-storey flats. We think the time has come when we’ve go to go up.” Capitalisation of the family benefit would be extended to include the purchase of existing homes, and a more liberal policy would be introduced in assessing eligibility for capitalisation. “It’s an inquisition at present,” she said.

A 4 per cent loan scheme for those whose incomes did not exceed £1250 would be started. The National Party candidate for Sydenham, Mrs H. L. Garrett, wanted the present 3 per cent loan abolished.

“This is wicked,” said Miss Howard. “The 3 per cent loan has allowed hundreds of working class people to get a home, and this is the way my opponent attacks them.”

At the annual conference of the Canterbury-Westland division of the National Party, Mrs Garrett had said one effect of family benefit capitalisation had been the growth of low-cost housing in Fendalton.

“She only wants the big houses in Fendalton. She wants to represent the people of Sydenham, but she wouldn’t come and settle in Sydenham, would she? No fear no—she’s sealed up in Fendalton.

“She said she didn’t believe in a referendum on flouridation because people were unable to give an intelligent

vote. Well, what are we? I don’t know. Apparently we haven’t any brains, we haven’t any intelligence. But she has no hesitation in saying that she is a university graduate.” Under a Labour government, a general wage order would apply from the first day of the court hearing in which it was granted, and increases would be the same for men and women. Everyone would receive three week’s annual leave. “A cost of living index would be established and maintained to record the actual living cost of both married and single social security beneficiaries. The social security subsidy paid to doctors, which had not been increased from the original 7s 6d instituted by the Labour Government in 1938, would be raised to enable doctors to reduce patients’ fees.