BETTER HOMES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 157, 4 June 1937, Page 7

BETTER HOMES.

FURNITURE FOR WORKERS,

SCHEME IN BRITAIN. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, June 2. In opening an exhibition of work-ing-class furniture and equipment, organised by the Council for Art and Industry, in London to-day, the Minister of Health (Sir Kingsley Wood) said that housing progress was such that about 1,000,0U0 people m this country had moved last year into new houses. There was real need for advice and assistance which would enable houses to become real homes, he said. Numbers of people did not possess sufficient furniture and equipment to make their new house a home because they had not the means to enable them to do so. Local authorities had power under the Housing Act to provide furniture for their tenants in such cases.

The scheme at Birmingham’ enabled furniture to be supplied in suitable cases to young married couples. At Gateshead the corporation, through local retailers, provided furniture and instalment payments were collected each week with the" rent. It was noteworthy notwithstanding the industrial difficulties at Gateshead, that the arrears of instalments were under 2 per cent, of the amounts due for payment. The corporation was raising the standard of the tenants without cost to the rates.

This was a. limited but important social field, arid such efforts as these certainly gave many new opportunities for a fresh start in life for a number of poorer citizens, the Minister said.