CITY'S RISING ASSETS BOARD AND LODGING

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 85, 7 October 1936, Page 10

CITY'S RISING ASSETS

BOARD AND LODGING

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —Why is "Spectator" in such a hurry to sell the city's assets in order "to lighten the load on the back of the poor, struggling ratepayer," more especially as land values in both city and suburbs are showing a definite rising tendency? ■ The rates in Wellington, being levied upon the unimproved or community-created value of the land do not come out of the earnings of the ratepayer, whether "poor, struggling" or otherwise, so cannot tend to make him poorer or to make his struggle harder.

It would be sheer folly for the city to sell to private individuals public assets, whose present. value has been given to them entirely by the public and which are bound to rise still further in value as the population of Wellington increases and as the city spends more and more on public improvements and public services. As a matter of fact, the expenditure of the loans that your correspondent is so concerned about would itself inevitably tend to enhance land values in Wellington City and suburbs.—l am, etc., SCRUTATOR.

(To the Editor.)

I Sir,—Has the Government considered the position with regard to board-ing-house accommodation in Wellington and the lot of all those hundreds of young men and women—and older men and women, too —who are obliged on account of their work" to reside here, and whose homes, if they have homes, are not in Wellington? Reasonable and comfortable accommodation is so difficult to procure/public or private, that proprietors of boarding-houses appear to be asking unreasonably high terms, at the same time providing.service not nearly commensurate with the tariff. There is, of course, the cry that wages and other outgoings have increased, but in many cases the tariS has been raised to meet the increased cost and there seems no good reason for economies in other directions. Two courses suggest themselves— either to appoint inspectors or to provide assistance lor the erection of suitable accommodation houses to meet the demand. If is doubtful whether the first alternative would be' practicable or desirable, but the second suggestion is commended to the Government for serious consideration. The Government proposes to erect homes for the people. Why not provide assistance for those equally unfortunate persons who have no homes at an or are obliged to live away from home and, in fact, in many cases, are here in the service of the Government? The same necessity may arise in other centres* but it is, and probably will always be, more acute in Wellington on account of the headquarters of Government Departments and commercial houses being situated here'^ l^J tc"