EVICTION CASES

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11761, 7 October 1932, Page 5

EVICTION CASES

RELIEF WORKERS’ PLIGHT. MAN WITH EIGHT CHILDREN ORDERED OUT. GOVERNMENT URGED TO INTERVENE. Alll, PARRY’S THREAT IN CASE OF REFUSAL. PREPARED TO TAKE LAW INTO OWN HANDS. HOUSE OPPOSES DISCUSSION. ■ (Press Association.) WELLINGTON. Oct.j 6. In the course of the proceedings in the House of Representatives this afternoon. Air. MeKeen (L) moved the adjournment of the House, in order to enable the discussion of the ■qiiQstiqn of thtei eviction .of relief workers from their lioinNs, and possible remedial measures. He said 'ho referred particularly to a case in his electorate of a married man with eight children, who- had been given notice by the Public Trustee to vacate liis house, and who, in the meantime, had found it impossible to obtain another house for which (on f of £2 a week relief wages) he could afford to pay rent. The Public Trustee had engaged a bailiff to eject this man. Air. McKeeu. continuing quoted other cases of hardship, and declared that the position was becoming worse, nob only in Wellington, but throughout the Dominion. Me believed that hundreds in "Wellington alone must have been evicted during the past year. • The circumstances of relief workers constituted a tragedy. People were living in dread of tho landlord on the one hand, and starvation on the other. The responsibility was not one for the landlord, with whom lie bad every sympathy. It was a national problem. He knew of many landlords who were making great sacrifices, and who were piling tip arrears of interest payments which they would have to meet in the years ilo come. The Government must know that the position was becoming impossible for both the landlord and the relief worker. Tho Government’s eyes should be opened to the difficulties facing sections of the community, other than farmers. It if was a good thing to grant rebates totalling over £1,000,01)0 to Crown tenants, then it was surely a good thing to treat relief workers similarly. Ho urged the Government to confer with landlords and relict workers, with a view to. arranging for part of the rent to be paid by the Government, where a distressed family could not afford to pay all itself. Air. Parry (L) said the responsibility was being placed on the owners of property, and it did not rightly belong there. It should belong to the Government. “If the Government refuses to give reasonable consideration to the representations we are making,” he .said, “L for oneam prepared, as a member of this House, to take the law into my own hands and to organise relief and other workers with a view to. registering a protest that will make some impression on the Government-.” •‘IS-THAT A THREAT.” Air. Coates: “Is that a threatF' Air. Parry: “You can lake it a» you like. I am not particular about it.” Air. Parry went on to say that be lmd qualified bis statement by saving that if the Government was prepared to assist in meeting the position, he was prepared to assist the Government, but lie was not going to put up with another twelve months of seeing people -starve without making some light against it. He trusted that the Government would give the question the consideration it deserved. EXTRA TAXATION SUGGESTED. Mr. AVright "(C) said that Mr Parry had made out a good case, but it, would not help to talk, about taking drastic measures. He thought the members should take a firm stand and insist on something being done, ife, personally, would favor paying more taxation rather than allow the distress to continue. He paid a tribute to the liberal atttiude that had been, taken up by landlords, AD - . Armstrong (L) said that, while ho sympathised with some landlords, he thought the law should be altered to compel alt landlords to get ’the sanction of the magistrate before bringing in the bailiff. MINISTER PROMISES OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE ON TAXATION. Aftr;r other members had spoken, the Hon. A. Hamilton replied. He said the House would .very likely Rave tTic opportunity of testing whether it was prepared to find money by taxation to pay rent for these unfortunate people. There were quite a number besides relief workers, who could not pay their rent. Once the Government accepted liability in this direction, R would he found that it had accepted a pretty bi„ liability and the money would have to be found to meet it. , Air. Lee (L): “Create the money.’’ Continuing, the Minister said the opportunity may he given tile House before the session was over to deckle, whether it would accept that liability/and where the money would c<?ino from to meet it. He did not know, however, that the House would be prepared to go very much further in the way of increasing taxation to afford a greater measure of relief. MORE AVORK SUGGESTED. The Leader of .the Opposition said .the' • .Minister had given no answer to the points raised. He liad completely evaded the issue. The greatest concern was not action in the future, hut.immediate action to overcome tho difficulties of those in whose cases eviction was imminent. No system of taxation would afford the necessary relief. It was imperative that work should bo provided at sufficient wages to enable tbe -people to pay their own rent. Mr. Ale Keen’s motion was defeated by 43 votes to 26 and the House adjourned. ;• *