THE STATE AND HOUSING.

New Zealand Herald, Issue 17266, 16 September 1919, Page 9

THE STATE AND HOUSING.

«£;, h f[ ps the 11081 Pregnant subject which wiU engross the mind of our states men of the next Parliament i a the.housing question. We hare a society of architects professor*, etc., proclaiming the gospel of betterment and asking toe rtate to assist with finance 40 this end. lhat we shall be driven into some project of this sort by our Parliamentarians is quite certain, and equally certain these M.P. s will pose as innocents desiring only the public good while they persistently hoodwink themselves that the folk for whom they are labouring are all unable to house themselves under healthy and normal conditions. Is this true in the main? It is quite true in the exception, but it is not the rule. Let us take an example, and this can be extended in many instances, being itself no exception. In a Government publication illustrations were given of the brutal and untoward shacks in which colliers are compelled to live and bring up their children. The State might well be appalled that these conditions exist, and ask, is the worker forced to live .in this manner or has he a remedy in his own hands? In one ease illustrated he has, for in this particular case the occupant living in the shack lives there from choice. He has had the opportunity of renting a nice four-roomed cottage at 12s per week with an area of a-quarter of an acre around the house for garden. Or again he may arrange to purchase the property at cost price, principal and interest at 15s per week payable fort- | nightly, or he may purchase'the section r.ght out for the sum of £30, and the company agrees to build him the house !he requires without • restriction as to ! type. Now, it is not quite fair that the innocents- abroad should be for ever squealling out instances of the wrong conditions. In common fairness let them play the game, and let the democracy which if reckoned so noble know the truth from both standpoints. Akarana.