NEW AND OLD HOUSES

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 102, 27 October 1923, Page 6

NEW AND OLD HOUSES

The President of, the Dunedin Land Agents' Association yesterday criticised the operation of the new housing legislation. The basis of his criticism was that there was delay and difficulty in applying the legislation to the purchase of houses already erected. His complain^ may be justified, but, even if it is, it is of less importance than a question which arises incidentally—the extent to which the generous aid afforded by the Government is facilitating a mere transfer of dwellings. This issue was raised recently by a correspondent of "The Post," and it is of vital importance. The housing difficulty will not be overcome by mere substitution of ownership for tenancy, though this may mitigate some individual hardships arising from the shortage. Parliament understood this perfectly, and it was certainly the intention of the legislators that the 95 per cent, advances should operate as an encouragement of house-building, not an incentive only to house-buying. Possibly the legislation has not been s in operation long enough to enable its effect to be determined; but some indication of its trend should shortly be available. The Acting-Minister of Finance will, we hope, obtain and publish an early report upon this question, so that if the new measure 1 is not achieving its purpose an .endeavour may be made to discover the cause of failure.