STATE HOUSING IN WELLINGTON

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 233, 30 June 1939, Page 10

STATE HOUSING IN WELLINGTON

System Of Allocation

Outlined

STATEMENT BY MINISTER

An assurance that the departmental committee which had been set up to select tenants for State rental houses did its best to ensure that absolute fairness was used in its selections was given by the Minister of Housing, Mr. Armstrong, when replying to an urgent question addressed to him by Mrs. Stewart (Government, Wellington West) in the House of Representatives yesterday. Mrs. Stewart asked the Minister to explain the position in regard to State rental houses in Wellington, and the method used in allotting them to applicants.

“The large number of persons who write to and interview members, stressing the urgency of their need for bouses, indicates that the housing shortage in Wellington is very acute,” Mrs. Stewart said. “Some complain that applicants who are most urgently in need of a house are sometimes overlooked when allocations are made." The Minister said the position in Wellington was that there were 6061 applications for houses, many of them lodged in 1936 and 1937, and many of them very urgent cases. So far as the supply of new State houses were concerned, not more than 50 a month were being delivered in Wellington by the private contractors, who built for the department. “Because of the amount of work involved,” Mr. Armstrong said, “and to avoid any possibility of favouritism, a small departmental committee has been established to select) tenants. When one considers the large percentage of applicants living in undesirable conditions, and the limited number of houses available for allocation, the hon. member will appreciate what an unenviable task the committee has. I can assure her, however, that I know the committee does its best to ensure that absolute fairness is used in its selections.” MR. NASH’S MISSION Mention Of £33,000,000 Loan GOVERNMENT HAS NO INFORMATION The Government had no knowledge of the suggestion made in a newspaper cablegram from London that the Minister of Finance, Mr. Nash, was trying to raise a loan of £33,000,000. This statement was made by the ActingLeader of the House, Mr. Fraser, in reply to an urgent question by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Hamilton, in the House of Representatives yesterday. Mr. Hamilton inquired whether the report was correct and asked-whether Mr. Nash had been authorized by the Government to raise that sum in sterling in London—presumably £17,000,01)0 for the renewal of the loan and £16,000,000 of new money.

“The primary object of Mr. Nash’s, visit to Great Britain,” Mr. Fraser replied, “is to prepare the way for the conversion of the £17.000,000 loan which falls due for repayment in January next. Mr. Nash is also taking the opportunity to discuss matters of defence and trade, both of which involve questions of finance. Special authority of Parliametn would be necessary before new moneys to the extent of anything like £16,000,000 could be raised.”