Returned Servicemen

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 November 1949, Page 3

Returned Servicemen

Sir—What has the Labour Government done for the returned servicemen? Perhaps “done for” is right. We are told that fantastic sums, millions and millions, have been “made available” for them. But there’s a catch in it The money has to be paid back and with interest. The serviceman who has £5OO of his own and is granted a housing loan of £l5OO at 3 per cent, interest, finds that when he has made his final payment, he has repaid the sum of £2271 or £771 more than he borrowed. He pays for rates and upkeep as well. The man who offered a girl of my generation a debt of £2OOO along with his heart and hand, would have received a poor hearing, I’m afraid, but the young people of today have no choice, if they want any kind of a roof over their heads. After the first world war, the soldiers bought homes with their gratuity and still had a few pounds left. For £75 my Anzac uncle, bought a fully furnished three-bedroom house complete with everything even to crockery, cutlery, sewing machine, blankets etc. just as the owners, an adult family of five, walked out of it. In addition there were 1 two acres divided into four sections with new Bft wire netting. That sum today, would not buy one of the two fowlhouses that went with the property. The disabled soldier and his wife received the sum of £4 10s weekly. I am quite certain it would take at least four times that amount today to buy its then equivalent in goods.— Yours etc. a t TAWHAI November 28.