DECISION STANDS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20639, 20 August 1941, Page 6

DECISION STANDS

RURAL HOUSING SCHEME COOK COUNTY ATTITUDE REFUSAL TO OPERATE The decision of the Cook County Council in April to suspend the operation of the Rural Housing Act for the time being was confirmed at to-day's meeting, when a motion, of which notice was given a few months ago, was moved by Mr. M. T. B. Hall with the purpose of rescinding the April resolution. Mr. Hall’s motion was defeated after a lengthy discussion by eight votes to four. Mr. Hall said he saw no reason why the council should not operate the Act, so long as the council was not wasting the ratepayers’ money and so long as the securities were first-class. Mr. E. H. Baker considered that the council took a retrograde step when it decided to close down on the rural housing scheme. He said that the resolution was hurried through at the close of the April meeting without proper discussion. There was an urgent need for housing in some parts of the district, due in many cases to the attitude of landholders who leased their land on year-to-year lease, so that until there was an improvement in tenure of such places there would be no improvement in housing on those properties. Rural Housing Survey Urged It would be a pity if the council did not help to improve the housing conditions, Mr. Baker said, and he would go further than that and urge that a survey be made of housing in the district, by the Minsiter of Housing in conjunction with the Minister of Lands. He failed to see that the war had anything to do with preventing an improvement in rural housing. Mr. G. V. Smith said that the rescinding of the resolution would be a most dishonourable action. The resolution was made before the election, and if it had not been done the ratepayers would have organised opposition to members who favoured the operation of the rural housing scheme by the council. The chairman: Mr. W. G. Sherratt: Which ridings were interested? Mr. G. V. Smith: In all ridings. The chairman: Not in mine. Mr. G. V. Smith said that the only way to put the council on side, if it favoured the scheme, was to resign. He said that the ratepayers only had a vote once in every three years, and if Mr. Hall’s motion went through that would be taken away from them. Election Issue The chairman said that an election should not be fought on one issue only. Mr. Baker said that if the matter should have been fought at an election the motion to discontinue the operation of the scheme should have been delayed until after the election. Mr. G. V. Smith said that the country should be on the same basis as the town in regard to housing. The State houses in the towns were not a responsibility of the borough. The rural housingvseheme would be a good one for a council with a good sound reserve, but the Cook County Council was not so favourably situated. He considered that the chairman was not so much in touch with the ratepayers as he should be. He had promised to make a statement through the press on the matter, but had not done so. The •chairman replied that he had made a statement and would make another. A committee of the council was set up to consider applications and report to the State Advances Department. There was no risk to the council, as the loan was on first mortgage. If the county councils did not go on with the scheme, what chance had they of urging the Government to put through a better Act. Drift to the Towns After the war, he felt, better housing facilities on farms would be imperative to stop the drift into the towns. The fact that there had been only five applications to the council for loans — three turned down and two withdrawn —seemed to indicate that there was little risk to the council. Mr. F. S. Bowen said that the Act was only fit for rich people to borrow money, and it would be better to turn, the Act down and to ask for an improved one. He favoured a housing scheme, but not the present one. Mr. Hall said that he had not heard any objection from his ratepayers against the council operating the Act. Mr. C. Tietjen said he was still in favour of the scheme but not of going ahead at present. Few people would consider building at the present high prices. The motion to rescind the previous resolution was defeated, the voting being: For: The chairman, Mr. W. G. Sherratt, and Messrs. M. T. B. Hall, E. PI. Baker and M. L. Holden. Against: Messrs. J. T. Gordon. G. V. Smith, R. Graham, C. Tietjen, H. G. Smith, F. S. Bowen, P. D. Tombleson and S. T. Gray.