CAPITAL CITY RENTS

Hawera Star, Volume L, 10 January 1931, Page 7

CAPITAL CITY RENTS

WORKERS SHARING HOUSES. •

TWO ROOMS FOR 27© Gd< WEEKLY,

Recently a questionaire was sent by, the Wellington Storemen and Packers’ Union to its members with a view to; obtaining figures l in regard to presentday domestic costs. The inquiry' referred to married men only who were paying rent, or interest o-n borrowed! money in the purchase of a home, and did not extend be.yond Wellington, city and l suburbs. The returns numbered about 300, and it was found that the average weekly rent was- as follows: 2 rooms 25s 4d; 3 rooms, 2Ss gd: 4 rooms, 30s 3d; 5 rooms, 32s 3d; 6 rooms, 40s 8d; 7i rooms, 59s 4d. The average- weekly rent on a.ll classes of houses was 36s Id. and the average weekly' wage over the.- last six months was £4 Is 3d.

The average ji-umber of -dependants per worker was 2.4. The surplus, after payment of the rent, for medical attention, insurance, firing, lighting, iynd clothing was 45s 2d. Since the inquiry', a- certain amount of rationing was made- in the industry, and it' is claimed that the- effect of this has been to reduce the surplus after payment- of rent.

Commenting upon the figures, Mr. J. Tucker, secretary of the union, states:

“There are 20 per cent, of the members of the union purchasing their homes under the Government State Advances and Workers’ Dwelling Acts. The rates of interest vary from 5 to 62 per cent. The majority of those homes were built at peak •prices-,"and nre all so charged- peak rates of interest. Their present capital-reducing olia-rge, interest, rates, and upkeep- costs amount to an average of 32s 6d per week.

“Two per cent, of the members are having their homes by borrowed money from private mortgagees, covering periods l of from 10 to 13 years, at ai rate of interest of from 7 to 8& per rent. In one particular mortgage deed the conditions are interesting—if the canital charge and interest due at a certain date are not paid within 14 days from that date, then the interest) charge will he increased as from that date to 0 per cent.

“In no country in the world are sections for building workers’ homes so «ostlv as in New Zealand. The high rents have driven, some workers to share housing, and others to rent rooms. In one particular case a man and his wife and cue child paid 27s 6d for the use of two rooms. There are number of empty houses at present In Wellington, hut upon inquiry, we find that the rents are from 45s to 55s mu* week.” *.