SOLDIERS’ HOUSES

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 5 September 1924, Page 5

SOLDIERS’ HOUSES

SOLD FOR PROFIT

MANY TRANSFERRED TO CIVILIANS.

NO MORE LOANS TO BUY HOUSES

(BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, Sept 4. The question of whether-profiteering was going on in respect to soldiers 5 - houses in the cities was suggested in the course of discussion when representatives of the Dunedin Returned Soldiers’ Association interviewed the Prime Minister this morning ■ regard's Government loans for the erection of soldiers’ houses in Dunedin. Mr. P S. Anderson, one: of the members of the deputation, said they \ did not want to embarrass the Govern- \ ment because they appreciated what had been done in erecting houses and the settlement of soldiers on the land" ihey felt, however, thßt there had been a tendency to neglect the towns, while country districts were, still beino- provided for. • “ • ' '

-The Prime Minister: Do yotr.'knbwof any soldiers’ houses in Dunedin having been sold that were erected in the last twelve months?

_Mr. Anderson replied in the negative, adding that he did not know of any - ".' speculating. . Mr. Massey: “It has been reported to me. Continuing, Mr. Massey said that people had been. driven out -of their homes. There was nothing to prevent returned soldiers applying to the State Advances Department for loans. “Let those people who want nouses come forward,” he said “We cannot guarantee to find houses fbr every soldier, but we have done the best we can and will continue to do the best we can.” He remarked that a great deal had been done for returned men. If they got out of the revaluations of laud and stock at £3,00Q,000 they would do very well. nJrfi Anderson: Town chaps are also entitled to consideration. Ir. Massey said the Government could only go to a certain length in such matters. The money had to go time d oMt he WaS having a terrible AT T r he ! linis h r for Lands (Horn A. D. McLeod): Advances to soldiers last year top houses amounted to £540 000. + u SSeV : 1 ani not going to allow them to buy any more houses—soldiers l,niT n 6 else> ., A soldier, he said, had the same right to go to the State Advances Department as anyone else, ii ‘ e i"! U S get jUSt the same'treat--Tu t; - they must take their turn, the Minister said that during the last quarter alone 117 soldiers’ houses out of 187 had been transferred to civilians having been sold by soldiers, the profit being up to £SOO He had up St t nC £9oo WhlCh there was a Profit