A HOME OWNED

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 74, 24 September 1938, Page 20

A HOME OWNED

BETTER THAN ONE

RENTED

PARTY'S HOUSING PLAN

"Social security begins in the home" was a point Mr. Hamilton made on the important issue of housing. He dealt with the subject from the angle that the purchase of a home would be one of the best day's work a man did for himself and his dependants. The natural desire of man in all ages and in all countries had been to become the owner of the place he had made his home.' That spirit was' not dead in New Zealand, he declared. There Is no better security for one's old age than owning one's own home. Owning a home should be the very essence of any real social security, because rent was perhaps the largest fixed charge which depleted the resources provided for that lame. "MISCHIEVOUS STATEMENTS.'* i As in other matters, the Socialist! Labour Government, after failing to establish a State scheme to meet more j than a small section of today's pressing needs, is endeavouring to discredit the National Party's announced determination to put housing on its former sound footing. Mr. Hamilton referred to statements which he said had been made against the National Party by the Under-Secretary of Housing Mr. J. A, Lee, which he denounced as misleading and fantastic, but mischievous in their effect. At Christchurch on August 8, he said, Mr. Lee stated, "Were Labour beaten at the poll at this' election, then the next day the timber mills on the West Coast would close down. Also, during the previous week, Mr. Lee was reported in a newspaper in Levin as having stated that today there were 5000 people employed on State houses, but that if the National Party were returned at this election these workmen would all receive notices to quit. "Emphatically I state tonight that there is not an ounce of truth in these statements," said Mr. Hamilton. "When the National Party is returned as the Government at this election it will not scrap the whole housing scheme and throw thousands of men out of work. NATIONAL PARTY'S PLAN. "Let me put the National Party's housing plan plainly. We will approach the housing problem from the standpoint that —a home owned is far better than a home rented." The right of purchase would be given to tenants of State rental houses, and in other cases, liberal advances of up to 90 per cent, would be made available to home builders, while every encouragement would be given to building societies to provide the necessary capital. - The National Party would not put off men, and it would not close mills. It would employ more men, it would keep mills. busy, and it would provide an opportunity for every qualified citizen to build and own his own home.