DOMINION NEWS STORY OF A MAN WHO' COMPLAINED

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 September 1946, Page 4

DOMINION NEWS STORY OF A MAN WHO' COMPLAINED

How the desire of the police to he p a man who complained that he was being evicted from his house led to tne solution of a number of Wellington crimes was told by the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) in the House of Representatives yesterday. Mr. Fraser said he had been telephoned by a ™, an > both at his home and at his omce, complaining about threatened eviction. The police were asked to investigate and see if the man was being unfairly treated. His importunity brought the police to his house, and they found an amazing store of stolen goods. “I was amazed to see the collection at the police station,” Mr. Fraser said. “There were prams, picks and shovels, revolvers, Tommy-guns, shotguns—enough to start a small revolution.” Mr. Fraser added that as a result of their visit the police were able to provide the man with new lodgings for a period. Mr. J. T. Watts (Opposition, Riccarton): Complete social security. The Hinemoa The new inter-island steamer Hinemoa would be the first passenger ship to leave British yards since the end of the war, said the managingdirector of the Union Steam Ship Company, Mr J. N. Greenland, on his return to Auckland by the Pan America'n clipper. The Hinemoa would leave England about November 8, and would take 100 passengers to Wellington. This should permit her to enter the Wellington-Lyttelton service perhaps in time for the Christmas traffic. — (P.A.)

“Playing Politics.” About 6000 Auckland houses were partially or totally unfit for human habitation, and a large number of boarding and apartment houses were providing accommodation of low standard,’ said Dr. R. G. McElroy, a member of the Auckland City Council in an address. The council had assisted 1500 persons with temporary accommodation in transit camps, and efforts were being made to help another 10,000 living in slum conditions in “multi-family dwellings.” Special building loans had been advanced by the council to another 75 families. “From surveys throughout New Zealand we are satisfied that the housing problem cannot be overcome in less than 10 years,” said Dr. McElroy. “When the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) said in Auckland recently that the Government would overtake the housing shortage in three years he was simply playing politics with a desperate community problem.”

Gratuity Payments In the House of Representatives yesterday Mr H. T. Morton (Oppn., Waitemata) gave notice to ask when all gratuity payments would be completed. He said many servicemen whose application forms were in before March 31 were still waiting for advice of their gratuity credit. The Minister of Defence (Mr Jones), replying by leave of the House, said more than 180,000 gratuity accounts had been dealt with, but there were still about 25,000 applications to be decided. If any serviceman in immediate need of his gratuity made application to that effect the matter would be treated as urgent and dealt with at once. Many cases, said the Minister, were difficult ones, as they related to more than one of the services, and to different theatres of war. The difficulties of Base Records had been increased by the fact that when manpower controls were abolished many of'the staff left. However, it was hoped to deal with outstanding applications by the end of this month or early in October.— (P.A.)

Sections for Holtses The Government has decided in planning the development of major housing schemes, such as the Tamaki scheme in Auckland, and the Porirua area in Wellington, to make provision for a number of building sections which will be available for private owners who intend to build their own homes. The preference for these will be given to former servicemen. The Minister of Works (Mr Semple) made this announcement at Wellington yesterday. The Government, fie said, had no intention whatever of becoming the sole builder of homes. The Government recognised that in areas where there was a scarcity of building sites, it should make provision for the man who was anxious and willing to erect his own home. “I wish to emphasise that the Government desires to give every encouragement to those people who want to build their.own homes,” said Mr Semple. “Probably, the best encouragement would be in making available suitable fully-serviced building sites.”—(P.A.)