MAJOR PROBLEM
MR. M CKEEN CRITICAL
LABOUR CAMPAIGN
The first meeting of electors addressed by Labour candidates in the municipal elections at St. Thomas' Hall, Newtown, last night, was well attended. Mr. A. Humphries presided, and a motion pledging those present to support the whole of the Labour ticket was carried.
The Mayoral candidate, Mr. R. McKeen, spoke mainly of the housing problem. It had been with the city for years, he said, and, in spite of the Government's efforts to ease the" position, was more acute than ever. Wellington could do with another 5000 houses. The investigation into the housing position in Wellington three years ago revealed that more than 7000 families were living in unsatisfactory conditions. Was that to the credit of Wellington? But since then practically nothing had been done by the municipal authorities, who had merely played with the problem. The Labour Government had made a genuine and effective attempt to meet the situation, but Wellington was only a small part of the territory. A Labour council, cooperating with a Labour Government, would tackle the problem with vigour and vision. . The City Council had a special responsibility in regard to the housing of soldiers' wives and families, many of whom are compelled to live in rooms or to share dwellings with relatives, and of the .men when they return. "The foundation of rehabilitation of our returned men must be the home," said Mr. McKeen. MONEY AT 3 PER CENT. Action and results were wanted; vague talk was useless. The council should accept the Government's offer of money for housing at 3 per cent. The council's own housing scheme had not succeeded. Only 57 applications had been approved under it. The usual term of the table mortgage was 25 years/ and on a house costing £1350 the weekly repayments were 375, and when rates and insurances were added the outgoings, were greatly in excess of those of the rents of State houses. In Dun'edin,: where the Government's
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 101, 1 May 1941, Page 10
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330MAJOR PROBLEM Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 101, 1 May 1941, Page 10
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