FARM WORKERS’ HOUSES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 198, 23 July 1941, Page 6

FARM WORKERS’ HOUSES.

OBLIGATIONS OF COUNCILS. , (Special.) WELLINGTON, July 23. I Housing of farm workers became an ; urgent question when primary production for war purposes had to be greatly extended, and the Minister of Housing (Air Armstrong) told the House to-day what progress lias been made. The change over to cheese supply makes the provision of more houses on farms still more urgent, and Air Armstrong said that in future he proposes to insist that counties make more use of the rural housing scheme for this purpose. It was explained by the Alinister that the National Service Council recommended the use on farms of vacant Public Works Department- cottages which could he transferred and recrooted on undeveloped farms at a rental of os per week for married and 2s weekly for single men’s accommodation. This was done purely as a temporary expedient, a war measure. However. the scheme became so popular that the supply of hutments from construction camps ran out, and mass production was resorted to. Altogether 1062 hutments had been erected and 137 more were being constructed. How- - ever, concluded the Alinister, lie was going to insist on counties using the special housing legislation in preference to the hutment scheme.