SERVICEMEN'S DEMANDS

Evening Star, Issue 25469, 27 April 1945, Page 4

SERVICEMEN'S DEMANDS

SPEED-UP OF HOUSING FLAT RATE GRATUITY ONE YEAR TAX-FREE (P.A.) AUCKLAND, April 27. Dissatisfaction with the manner in which the housing problem is being tackled in New Zealand was expressed at the annual meeting of the Auckland R S.A. last night. It was stated that when the Japanese scare was on all manner of buildings were erected without delay, but now that thousands of returned servicemen were waiting for homes, the State could only provide a few houses a month. The position would worsen when, released war prisoners returned. The meeting passed a resolution favouring a Dominion-wide competition among architects for plans of a house costing between £1,200 ' and £1,300. ■

A second resolution urged that the percentage of State rental houses allotted to ex-servicemen be increased from 50 to 75. A remit for the Dominion conference on the subject of service gratuities urged that pressure be brought to bear* on the Government to announce the scale of gratuities it intended to pay. The meeting -was of opinion 'that the gratuity should be on a flat rate irrespective of rank, and that payment be s made on demobilisation.

Another remit urged that furniture loans be exempt from the sales tax. It was alsp suggested that ex-service-men be exempted from payment of income tax for one year from the date of their return to civilian life, and that such remission be made retrospective; Mr A. P. Postlewaite was re-elected president unopposed.