COSTLY DWELLINGS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 1 December 1927, Page 3

COSTLY DWELLINGS

HOUSES FOR WORKERS

LAND £2O TO £3O A FOOT

“You are pretending you are doing for Jhe ..workers in your scheme,for building flatg in the city, but you are only pretenders. You are nothelping the workers one little bit. You are no better than blood-suckers. You will be*dragging the last penny of rent from the workers for 25 to i3O years, ar.cl at the end of that time they will not own a brick in the house.”

This charge was made at a recent meeting of the Sydney City Council when the Labour caucus forced through the council a resolution to resume Fowler’s Pottery area, at Camperdown, at a cost; of £24,000, for the erection of workers’, homes, and a recreation area. Alderman O’Brien said the value of the land for the houses oh (lie frontage facing tlie new streets would he from £2O to £3O a foot. .The richest men in' Sydney could not afford .land at that price for their homes ,and it would he cruel to compel the workers to pay the rent Hint would have to be charged for, the homes. Houses for workers should be built on cheap land outside the city. Alderman Walder: But the Labour Party would not then have voters in the city.

Alderman Courtenay moved that the matter be referred back for further information and full plans, but this was defeated, bya majority Labour vote. Alderman O’Brien declined to support the Labour caucus in this vote. I:le said it was a disgraceful proposal for the Labour Party to submit.

The Reform alderman gave notice of a rescission motion to have the matter deferred until detailed plans and estimates were submitted.