WORKERS’ DWELLINGS

Evening Star, Issue 18333, 21 July 1923, Page 8

WORKERS’ DWELLINGS

£lO DEPOSIT SCHEME. HAS IT DISAPPEARED ? CHALLENGE TO PREMIER. [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, July 20. There were strong expressions of doubt among members of the House when the State Advances Bill was considered in' committee to-day as to whether this did not mean the disappearance of the system under which a worker, on paying a £lO deposit, could get tho Advances Department to build him a dwelling according to the department's plans. Mr Fraser (Wellington Central) expressed the hope that the Prime Minister would make it quite clear that tho department intended to carry on workers’ dwellings under the Housing Act of 1919. “ We are only living in a fool’s paradise in regard to the £lO deposit system at present, if the department continues on the lines that the vainer romes along and says ‘ the liou.se is too dear,’ and rules the man out of court.” Mr Wright (Wellington Suburbs) sug-, gested that some instructions should lie given to tho department that the £lO deposit system was to be maintained; otherwise it would not take the responsibility, and one section of the community, the most needy, would have no houses at all. Mr Sidey declared that the amending Act was in itself a confession of tho failure of the Housing Department, ’ which had sold its surplus building material and gone out of business. Tho present Bid was the attempt of the State Advances officers to clean up the position. PREMIER GIVES ASSURANCE. Mr Massey replied with a positive assurance that the Workers’ Dwelling .Act was still in operation. There was a board whoso business it was to look into applications, and if they came along from people who wished to make the £lO deposit they would bo considered. He could not interfere with the board, directing it to accept “ Smith’s ” or 11 Brown’s ” application to have a house built, but ho knew that there were thirteen houses now being built under tho Workers’ Dwelling Act. Mr M'Combs commented that the- building of thirteen houses when 1,300 were wanted was a confession of ineptitude ami incompetence. The Government, he said, was only playing with the thing. NO APPLICATIONS WANTED. An amazing sidelight was thrown on (lie subject by Mr Jordan, whose revelations were promptly taken up by the Premie. Mr Jordan told the House that lie had taken up the case of an ex-Civil Servant in reduced circumstances, and had endeavored to get him a house on the £lO deposit system. Ho inquired of the Department of Labor at Auckland, which advised him to communicate with Mr Massey. This he did, and received word from tho Premier to apply to the Department of Labor. He (Mr Jordan) followed Mr Massey's advice, and received the following letter:—

I regret to state that I have no forms under the Housing Act, and my instructions from the Superintendent of State Advances are that it is not desired that any fresh applications for dwellings to be erected for purchase should be received. Mr Parry: That is the point.

Mr Jordan said the letter concluded; — ” I would suggest that you recommend any people who speak to you on the'matter, if the case is really urgent, to lay their troubles before the Prime Minister, as ho is the Minister-in-charge of the State Advances Department.” Mr Massey: Who signed that- letter?

Mr Jordan: It is signed George H. Lightfoot, officer in charge of the Department of Labor, Auckland, which makes it an official document. That does not fit in with the statement the Premier lias made that he will not interfere with the decisions of the board. The instructions certainly look as if they were more than a mere passing phase; but I pin my faith to Mr Massey’s statement to-day that, where necessary, a house shall be made available on the £lO deposit, or that, where necessary, larger power shall be given to the board, so that it can make a grant to the applicant even though he cannot put up the 5 per cent.

Mr Massey: That is a very important statement, and I would like to reply to the statement that fresh applications are to be refused. Mr Monteith: I have been told the same in Wellington. Mr Massey: I wonder the reason docs not occur to the lion, gentleman. What was the date of the letter ?

Mr Jordan: April 24, 1923. Mr Massey: And the administration of this department was taken over by the Advances Department in October of last year. Mr Monteith: It is the same thing in the Advances Department.

Mr Jordan; But I had a wire from the Prime Minister to go to the Labor Department and see about getting the advance.

Mr Masseyi I agree—because yon should go to them for the section. Mr Jordan: The sections are handled by the Lands and Survey Department. Mr Massey: The Labor Department controls these sections. That is the explanation, I may not know Mr Light-foot, aim possibly I may know him, but he did ikgo far enough. He ought to have sai v that you had applied to the wrong d. partment. Mr Bartram declared that the superintendent in Wellington had informed him that there was no State Advances Office in Auckland, and that it was merely a Valuation Department. Mr Massey: Hear, hear.

Mr Bartram: The fact that there are only thirteen bouses building is prima facie evidence that there are not many applications. Mr Wright repeated his belief that (bo Advances Department would not fake (lie responsibility of accepting £lO deposit applications. He had been to see them personally, 11 and,” added this Reform member, with an emphatic bang on the desk, ” it cannot be done.”

Mr Massey: I don’t know' whether that is a threat or not, but it won’t have any effect upon me. Mr Fraser said that he would accept without qualification the Premier’s assurance that the £lO deposit system would continue.