RURAL HOUSING SCHEME

Mt Benger Mail, 16 October 1940, Page 2

RURAL HOUSING SCHEME

At the monthly meeting; of the Tuapeka County Council, the chairman (Mr B. S. Thompson), stated that the day previously he and Mr R. F. Batchelor had attended a fully representative conference held in Dunedin and convened by the Otago and Southland Counties’ Association to discuss the Rural Housing Scheme. Delegates stated that their Counties were willing to administer the Act but ias there were some important points which required close investigation it was decided to send a delegation to Wellington to interview the Minister concerned. The chairman said that he believed that the scheme would prove beneficial to many ratepayers, and its benefits would in time be extended to the small man on the small lot of land. He moved “that a sum of £5,000 be applied for from the State Advances Department for the purpose of establishing a fund under the Rural Housing Scheme.” The clerk (Mr R. P. Batchelor) explained that the whole amount would not be borrowed at one time but would be taken out as applications were received by the council for loans and interest would be payable on these amounts only. Cr J. George in seconding the motion stated that it was a job which the council did not expect but yet it was their duty to support the proposal if application were made for the loan On the motion of Cr E. H. Murney an amendment was proposed “that action be deferred in the meantime. ” Mr John Bennetts who seconded the amendment expressed the opinion that the scheme as it stood at the present moment was not a measure which would materially help the man who needed the most help. It would rather tend to help the man who bad the financial backing. • The whole scheme required redrafting and the administration was cumbersome and unwieldy. Cr Revie stated that he had previously supported the project as he thought that the whole scheme would be more elastic than it is. He saw no reason why a scheme could not be introduced in Rural areas similar to the scheme at present in operation in the towns for homes l for working men

On rising to reply, the chairman said that he could not support the arguments of the previous speakers. He considered that if the council .decided to defer action valuable time would be lost which would be regretted later on. it was the council’s plain duty to aid the Government in this scheme since it was warmly supported by both sides of the House and the New Zealand Farmers’ Union.

“When our boys come hack,” said Mr Thompson,; “have we not a plain duty?” Are we going to sit hack and ignore the important part the Rural Housing Scheme must play in the reahbilitation. of those young men now defending the Empire,” He admitted that the scheme was not perfect. That could not be expected, since in all such schemes, progress was made through trial and error. In time however, most farmers and their families would be enabled to get decent and modern comfortable homes to live in, but this could only be achieved by the co-opera-tion of all concerned and constructive support was essential. The; amendment was carried by five votes to three so the raising of the £SOOO loan will be deferred meanwhile and will be reconsidered when the report of the delegation of the Counties’ Association comes to hand.