MOVERS' COMMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 4, 5 July 1938, Page 12

MOVERS' COMMENT

TWO CLAUSES OBJECTED TO

Councillors M. Fraser and R. L. Macalister, who were the movers of the motion which gave rise to the Bill,, stated today that in its draft form it did not' represent their intentions in at least two important particulars, and they therefore desired to dissociate; themselves from it, especially in regard to those particulars which had to do with the payment of compensation and with the advancing of sums for repairs and renovations, as the proposals in these respects were quite foreign to their intentions as outlined to the council and published in the Press.

"The promotion of the Housing Bill arises out of the resolution recently moved by us in the council, which referred the proposals to the housing committee," they said in a joint statement. "We did not imagine that the contents of the Bill would be published at this stage, and for that reason did not discuss the clauses to which we take- exception in' open meeting last night.

"There are. certain features which do not arise out of the resolutions which we moved, and we want to make it ■ quite clear that the Bill is still to be the subject of consideration by the housing committee.

"Two matters that are referred tern the draft Bill we wish to mention: (1) The right to take property on which there are houses that may be declared to be not desirable for habitation without payment of any compensation whatever for the buildings; and (2) the power proposed whereby the council may advance money for repairs or renovations without the consent of any mortgagee, the advance to take priority over mortgagee rights.

"We doubt very much whether these proposals in their present form will meet with the general approval of councillors, and as we have been so closely connected with the housing proposals we wish to dissociate ourselves from those two clauses of the Bill. They are no part of our proposals, nor have they arisen from them." .