UNION CAMPAIGN AGAINST TRANSIT HOUSING SCHEME

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23366, 23 September 1950, Page 8

UNION CAMPAIGN AGAINST TRANSIT HOUSING SCHEME

(P.A.) HAMILTON, Sept. 22. Members of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Carpenters’ Union decided at their annual meeting in Hamilton last night to “appeal to all building trade workers to make their presence felt in a campaign to assist in properly housing the people” under the highest possible standards. The decision was reached following a discussion on a letter from the Tauranga sub-branch appealing to the New Zealand union and its members to refrain from using labour power on the Government's temporary housing scheme and requesting the Government to revert to the former standard, or better.

A statement issued today said that members of the union felt that there was too much sub-standard and transit housing in New Zealand and “every endeavour should be made to get unfortunate people out of transit—and in some cases condemned —housing into decent, permanent homes, which would be far better from an economic point of view and also from the moral and social viewpoint.” The statement added that the Minister in Charge of Housing. Mr. W. S. Goosman, in reply to representations, had stated that the Government was not stopping the construction of State houses, but those employed on their building knew that such a statement was "piffle.” The number of new contracts that had been let. even at military and Air Force camps, together with State houses for Government departments and rural houses, told the story plainly enough. “When we visit seaside resorts and see the labour and materials that should be diverted in the interests of the homeless being used mainly on luxury seaside accommodation on far higher rates of pay than those prevailing for necessary housing, it is time something was done about it,” concluded the statement.