INTERVIEW WITH THE MININSTER FOR LABOUR.

Northern Advocate, 21 September 1906, Page 3

INTERVIEW WITH THE MININSTER FOR LABOUR.

The Minister for Labour (Hon. J. A. Millar), interviewed on the subject, spoke briefly, but to the point. He was, he said, disappointed at the ! small number of applications, but he ! had no hesitation in saying that the whole of the dwellings would be taken up in a very short time. He could not, he went on to say, give any reason for the small number, unless it was that the population of Petone was not increasing, and that they were all supplied with houses. " Will the present condition of things make any difference in the policy of the Government regarding workers' dwellings ?"' was a question put to the Minister. " None whatever," was the reply. " Contracts which have been entered into will, of course, be completed, and it will depend entirely on how the dwellings are taken up in other centres as to whether the Government will go any further in the matter. If there is no demand for them there is no necessity for the GovernI ment to provide them. We were given to understand that rents in Wellington were excessive, that men could not live, and therefore the opportunity was given them to obtain houses at a low rental. Judging, however, ! from the number of applications received there is no demand on the part of the workers in Wellington for such dwellings." The Minister was next asked if the • present position would affect the intentions of the Government in regard to the proposal to erect workers' dwellings in Constable-street, Wellington. Mr Millar was not prepared to say, but he would be guided by the experience of the near future. 11 We will be guided by the results of the next two or three weeks in regard to Petone." An opportunity would be given to other persons who were making applications to lease those houses, but he did not anticipate any difficulty in getting oil all the houses at an early date. " We have a large list of people who inquired for these houses," the Minister said in conclusion. It was understood that they were suing to make application, and a number of them have written giving reasons why they did not complete the arrangement. None of them took exception to the terms or found any fault with the houses. " I am not afraid of the success of the scheme, so far," said Mr Millar, in U-nniiutl-ing the interview.