HOUSES WANTED

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 272, 11 August 1920, Page 7

HOUSES WANTED

THE WOMEN'S APPEAL

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER OF LABOUR

OVERCROWDED WELLINGTON

Startling statements concerning the_ housing shortage, the overcrowding of dwellings and the eviction of tenants were made by a deputation of women who interviewed tho Minister of Labour (Sir William Hemes) yesterday. Tho deputation represented a meeting of women hold in Wellington to consider tho housing problem Inst week. Mr. P. Fraser, M.P.,. who introduced the deputation, explained that the women, wished to ask for the stoppago of all evictions until an adequate 6upply of houses had been provided, or, as an alternative, that a landlord should not be allowed to evict a tenant until he had provided.adequate accommodation elsewhere. This law was already in operation in Britain. Mrs. Catlow said that the land agents and the speculators were pushing up the prices of houses against tho people who had to occupy them. Houses were being held empty in Wellington for the purpose of being sold again and again at rising prices. . Mt?. Catlow faked that evictions should ccaso until the acute shortage of houses had been overcome. She produced a 'summons that had been served upon a mother, who was ordered t) take herself and her children out of the house they occupied, although the woman could not find any other home. People with children were being penalised at present, and the position for them was'becoming steadily worse. . Within a stone's-throw of Parliament, there was a twelve-roomed house in which eleven families were living, somo of - them having children. She could quote the caso of a married couple with a boy aged 14 years and a girl aged 15 years, all living in one room. Another speaker. stated that she was the mother of ten children, 'A'wo small children were with her. She had been served with an eviction order for the sccond timo in eighteen months. Sh* was paying d6l 16s. a week", at present for six rooms, two of them very small, nud she had been compelled to buy tome old furniture in order to get into that place. Now she was ordered' out, and she had nowhere to go. Her March for another house had been fruitless. She had only to mention that she had ten children to have every landlord refuse to listen to her. A mother of five children said she was being summonsed for failing to give up possession of her home. The landlord was " demanding damages on account of the delay. She had been in the hou6e for nine years and could not find another place. Tho next sneaker .said that she had five children and was living in one room, for which she paid 12s. a week. A mother with eight child rep 6aid she had been served with an eviction notice. Sha had. looked in vain for another home, but tho landlord said she must get out at once. Had tho Government no help to offer her? '

Another woman mentioned the case of a home that was being demolished to make room for a factory. .The family occupying the homo could not find any other place to live'in, but the foundations of the factory were being pushed under the house, and the mother had to climb over brickwork to reach her back doo:\ This was happening "in the shadow of Government House, ' where there is stacks of room." ,<

Mrs. Snow said the Government was spending money bringing adult .workers to New Zealand, but there was no room for the children born in the country. An eight-roomed house' in Molesworth Street contained eight families, most of them with children. Part of the trouble was caused by the land agents, who inflated prices in their search for commissions. She was a members of the Charitable Aid Committee, and the hardest and most heart-breaking part , of. the work, week after week, was tto deal with the women who "had received eviction notices. ■

Mr. Fraser said it would be possible to bring forward hundreds of other women with similar stories to tell. Tho women were asking 6imply that they should bo protected against eviction until other homes were available for them.

Sir William Hemes said that the speakers had put thoir case in' a convincing manner. He would be glad to 'convey their representations to Cabinet. The Government was trying to expedite tho building of houses. One of the difficulties to be faced was that the more restrictions the Government imposed the fewer houses were built by private people. Tho Government wished to encourage private peoplo to build houses. It would be almost impossible for the, Government alone" to overtake the demand within a short time. The Labour Department was calling for tenders for 262 additional ihouses in various parts of tho Dominion, and hoped to bo able to get quick construction. It was inquiring regarding quick methods of .building houses. The Government had lifted tho duty from cement in order to pjrmit of this, material being brought into the country. -It had been urged to'stop tho export of timber, but if it did that the Australian Government would stop shipment of coal to Now Zealand, and the Dominion mines unfortunately were not producing enough coal to cover requirements.

"We know the absolute necessity of building houses for tho people," said the , Minister, "and wje want, also, to en-, courage local bodies to build houses. We are bringing down legislation to give the local bodies larger powers, and I hope they will take advantage of these pow-1 era. We recognise that the main need of the people at the present time is additional housing accommodation. The Government recognises its duty, and will do it." The suggestions niado by tho deputation regarding evictions would require to bo considered by Cabinet. The Government was extending the measuro of protection already granted to tenants. The first duty of tho Government was to look after the returned soldiere. That must be understood by everyone. The returned soldiers had been' promised houses, and if. they wanted them the Government must see that they were provided. Mr. Fraser: You would not sacrifice women and children for that, would you? Sir William- Herries: The returned soldiers have women and children. Mr. Fraser: Some of them have. Some cf them have wives without children. Sir William Herries: We must do the best we can for the returned soldiers.. Mr. Fraser: Is there anything that, would justify the eviction of tho women who addressed you to-day—women with eight and ten children? Sir William Herries: "I do not think that they ought to be evicted as long as they are paying their rent. 1 quite appreciate the enormity of some of these cases. I think that in somo of tho cases, as far as I understand them, tha landlords aro acting in a very arbitrary way. It is a question of legislation. In the meantime I am very glad to have heard your views." The Minister added a suggestion that members of the deputation who had not nlready applied for tho houses under erection by the Government should do so. A woman: I have to c«t out next week. The Secretary of the Labour Department (Mr. Rowley) said that six of the houses under erection by tho Government in Wellington would bo completed in a montli or six welcs.

Mr. Fraser; How many applications have you received for those houses ? Mr. Rowley: About MO. The members of the deputation thanked tho Minister for his attention to their representations. It is pleasant to como across at least one well-known commodity that is oxtensivel.v used which is still being sold atthu pre-war price. This is Tussicura, tho popular preparation for coughs aad colds. Despite the fact that Tussicura is in great demand and that thousands find it the, only preparation that promptly oureo coughs and colds, the proprietors, not without 6aorifico, liavo decided to continue selling at Is. 6d. and 2s. fid. a bottle. Wo havo no doubt that tho nublio will show its appreciation of the firm's action by using Tuasionrn more extensively than «tot, —Advt.