DIXON STREET FLATS

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 307, 22 September 1943, Page 8

DIXON STREET FLATS

Adxertisement Criticized By Mr. Semple

“This is the limit in lowness.” said the Alinister of XVorks, Air. Semple, Labour candidate for ‘XX’ellington East, referring in a speech at- XX’orser Bay to an advertisement recently published on behalf of the National Party. The advertisement consisted of a picture of the Dixon Street flats, with underneath'the words: ‘‘No babies allowedI—‘XVhen 1 —‘XVhen babies come the couples in these flats will have to get out,’ said the Hon. IR. 'Semple when opening. this 116-flat building three weeks I said was that these flats were originally intended to provide aceommodation mainly for ‘working' girls and for elderly couples who had reared their families and for both of whom there is a "reat shortage of accommodation m XX eliington.” said Air. iSemple. ‘There o is an appalling shortage of all .housing here, and these flats were intended to meet that shortage in one part, while the State houses were to look after the rest as fast as we could build them. “Then the Japs burst through Singapore and 'the men on housing went to defence work, but housing will start again all right. Men began to come back and married their sweethearts. They had to have somewhere to go. XVe decided that these new couples should have at least '5O per cent, preference at the Dixon ‘Street flats. I did say that these flats were not suitable ‘for families, lhe top flats are 100 feet in the air. They would' have been a nightmare for a mother whose baby had started to crawi. There is no playing room anywhere for children, but it is the very lowest form of misrepresentation to say that I said ‘couples would have to get out when babies came.’ . “I said in the presence or the mayor and to the mayor, ‘XVe will call these fiats honevmoon flats. XVe want additional •papulation, and the best immigrants are New Zealanddborn.’ XVhen we can get on with the" building programme again we will build houses and homes, and these men *and their wives and their babies will have preference in the new homes we will build for them. “This lying advertisement goes on to tell you to vote'National for a bolder housing policy. If Air. Hislop had during his twelve years of office as mayor,ot XX’ellington done anything to relieve XX ellington’s disgraceful housing, situation he would have a right as a Nationalist to talk about a bolder housing policy, said Mr. Semple. TT . “But the difference between Air. Hislop’s talk and the Labour Government’s action is that the Labour Government did something. Air. Hislop’s record of achievement in housing is a positive and absolute blank.”