CITY COUNCIL AND HOUSING

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 253, 9 July 1926, Page 8

CITY COUNCIL AND HOUSING

QUESTIONS PUT TO MAYOR As it drew near the midnight hour at Wednesday’s meeting of the City Council, Councillor R. McKeen asked the Mayor if anything had been done to facilitate the further building of houses. A special committee had been set up for tbe purpose of doing something; had that committee met? he asked. "I have had no further proposals from the Housing Committee,” replied the Mayor; “with money at its present price I have no policy to put before the Council.”

“In view of the fact that you wouldn’t let the committee proceed,” said its chaitman (Councillor G. A. Troup); “have you done anything to raise the money?”

“I have explained to the Council,” said tlie Mayor, “and my explanation was approved—that we could not afford to boi-row at a higher rate than that at which private individuals were able to secure it. That would not be good business."

Councillor Troup—“ls it not a matter for the Finance Committee, seeing that the Housing Committee has no power to borrow money ? Why blame the committee?”

The Alavor—“The Housing Committee might'make some recotnmendationThere has been no financial proposal I could consider.” “Do vou know,” said Councillor Troup, '“that at the time the Housing Committee brought forward a proposal to raise £25,000 at 5J per cent, the Government advertised a loan at 5| per cent ? How can you expect the Housing Committee to get money at less than 5 per cent.?” The Mayor—At the time the committee brought forward the proposal to borrow £25,000, the Government was lending money to individuals at 4J per cent. Councillor McKeen—Not to public bodies.

It was also mentioned that rome of the people who bad bought City Council houses at Northland were asking tlie Council to do certain work in connection with them.