FAIR RENTS ACT

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 45, 23 February 1938, Page 2

FAIR RENTS ACT

Drift to Towns

HASTINGS, Feb. 22.

..rorise that tfc« Minister of Justice should re/uss to take steps to prevent admitted abuse of the Fair Rents Act, and the Opinion that the shortage of houses was largely due to the political policy bringing about a drift from the country to the town, were expressed by Mr. W. E. Bate, vice-president of the Hastings Chamber of Commerce, last evening. Before the meeting was a request from the Associated Chambers of Commerce detailing representations that had been made to the Minister regarding this Act, and asking affiliated Chambers to supply reports of instances where there has been a hold-up in building projects because of the legislation.

“There appears to be no doubt that the Act is liable to abuse, and is being abused, but that fact does not seem to interest the Minister of Justice to any great extent,” said Mr. W. E. Bate. He said it seemed a strange thing that in a city like Auckland valuable city property could be held up from economic use because there was some old residence, or living quarters, upon it. People who might have found employment in the construction of big and new premises on the site, and those who might have been afforded employment within th walls of the new building, are deprived of that opportunity, he said, because of some stubborn tenant, paying possibly, a meagre rent, refusing to vacate. “But stranger still is the fact that the Minister refuses to do anything about it,” said Mr. Bate, “particularly when he admits that the Act is being abused.” “One feels that there is something unexplained about this housing shortage,” he continued. “Our population is not increasing at all rapidly, and it would seem that the housing shortage is largely caused by the political policy setting up a drift from the country to the town. The incentive to stop on farms removed, the creation of work on projects in town, and the ease with which money is obtained on sustenance, causes a drift to town.”

Mr. F. E. Smith said that a possible contributory cause to the shortage might be the fact that houses were being purchased in town by the Maoris. “There are any amount of houses being taken in this borough by Maoris,” he said.

“It is generally conceded that the Government housing policy has had the effect of reducing very considerably operations of the private builder.” continued Mr. Bate.

Mr. Smith: There’s not the slightest doubt about that. Mr. Hedley Harvey: That is the point, all right. ”... and the drop in the building permits throughout the country has not been equalled by the number of Government houses built. The two things must be connected,” said Mr. Bate.

“The Fair Rents Act has more to do with the decrease in building opera* tions than anything else,” declared Mr. Smith. “No man is going to build s house when he knows that he cannot put the tenant :out. He’s just not going to be bothered with building.” “He is deprived of all rights, and his responsibilities are added too” said Mr. W. A. Whitlock.

It was decided to advise the Associated Chambers that co-operation would be forthcoming in the direction of advising the executive of any such cases so that they could be brought oefore the notice of the Government.