HOUSING AND TAXATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19148, 14 October 1925, Page 13

HOUSING AND TAXATION.

MR. HOLLAND IN DUNEDIN, STATE BUILDING SCHEMES. LANDLORDS AND FAMILIES. IBV TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] DUNEDIN, Tuesday. I he Leader of the Parliamentary Labour Party, Mr. H. E. Holland, at the Town Hall. South Dunedin, this evening, addressed a large and enthusiastic meeting. Referring to Mr. Coafes' statements concerning housing conditions, he said thai under the Government's regime a shortage of fiver 23.000 dwelling houses had been created, with 165,000 persons packed into overcrowded houses and tenements. One person in every seven was living under conditions described by the Government Statistician as at the worst "distinctly dangerous," and at the best "unfavourable to the maintenance of a proper standard of health and decency." Twice ten thousand young couples entering upon matrimony had no homes in which to commence. their married life, and frequently j owners refused to let'dwellings to families j with children. In the larger centres rents I had risen enormously, and overcrowding was menacing both health and morality. In addition, as the Prime Minister confessed, slum areas had developed. As leader of the party responsible for these conditions, the Prime Minister was now found desperately pleading for an extension of life for his Government, and | promising that if given an opportunity he j would effect a change, and there would be I a different story to tell regarding slums, but what the electors would want to know was why. during the 13 years in which they had held oflice, the Reform Party had made no serious attempt to provide adequate housing for the people, or to remedy slum conditions? The Prime Minister's admissions, and his electioneering promises of an altered attitude in this respect, read like a political death-bed repentance. Explaining the Labour Party's housing policy, Mr. Holland said they proposed to enter upon a vigorous house-building scheme by the State, and won Id also make State advances to persons desirous to build their own homes. The houses built by the State, would be let at rentals which the ordinary worker could afford to pay, and they would make it a criminal offence for an owner to refuse tc let an empty dwelling solely because the family of the would-be tenant included children. Mr. Holland proceeded to refer to Sir. Coat.es' comparative statement of income taxation levied in New Zealand, and the different countries of the Empire. He said that when the Government was trying to justify the last income tax reduction, the Hon. A. D. McLeod declared that New Zealand was the most heavily income-taxed country in the world. They now bad Mr. Coates quoting figures previously quoted by Labour members, and for the same purpose, to prove that the wealthy fax-payer of New Zealand was in an infinitely better position than the taxpayer in any other part of the Empire. Mr. Coates' own figures demonstrated that there was no need for the latest tax reduction, which gave relief to the extent of £150,000. Of this amount more than £67.000 would go to benefit 28 taxpayers, including companies, firms and persons. The balance of less than £87,000 would be divided between about 36,000 other taxpayers. It was another case of gifts to the wealthy. THE FUSION SCAPEGOAT. MINISTER'S SPIRITED STAND. DENUNCIATION OF LIES. [B V TELEG R ATH. —PRESS A SSOCIATION. ] CIIRISTCIIU RCii. Tuestla y. | Addressing a large audience at Kaiapoi | in support of the candidature of Mr. W. Brock, the Minister for Lands, Hon. A. I). McLeod, said the failure of the fusion negotiations necessitated the finding of a scapegoat, and he had good reason to believe he had been selected by their National friends for special attention. "I have in my possession an extraordinary j document, which has no doubt been sent to all the National candidates, and which refers to me as the fusion wrecker of the Reform Party," said Mr. McLeod. "I do not mind that, but I do object to our opponents, either newspapers or individuals, making personal attacks upon me which are deliberately untruthful. I am referred to as one of the 'squatoeraey' > j of the Reform Party, owning 35,000 acres. | The fact is that the total area of land | I am possessed of is 1598 acres, all hill country. My wife possesses 1000 acres, ! and that is the sum total of our land. A | newspaper that stoops to personal attack j of that nature in an endeavour to asso- ] | eiate me with the so-called 'squatocracv' adopts the standard of the gutter press." Mr. McLeod said he noticed that the Nationalist candidate for Wellington North was adopting similar 'tactics. He was astonished to find that- Mr. McGrath , would stoop to such methods for political purposes. One of the ideals of the National Party was to keep Labour from the Treasury benches, but Mr. McGrath's candidature in Wellington North made itmore than possible that the seat would go to Labour, after being held by Reform for 20 years. Mr. McGrath had been told definitely before his name was mentioned politically that if he stood for Wellington Central, in whatever capacity, he would have the support, of Reform behind him. He p ret erred to jeopardise the safety of the Wellington North seat, despite the fact, that the Reform Party was standing out of such electorates as Waimarino, Westland and Dunedin South. Opening his campaign at Wellington, Mr. McGrath deprecated the continuance of the three-party system as stifling the work of government. He declared that " whatever my personal views of the Prime. Minister may have been in connection with this matter, several members of Cabinet, especially the loud speaker of squatocraev, the Minister for Lands, did nothing to encourage, but a great deal to prevent, fusion." Mr. McGrath said the Prime Minister of the National Government, such as he hoped to See. established, would have no more fervent supporter than he. He criticised the growth of the country s financial buideti, said the Government had ignored the j recommendations of the Taxation Commission because t.hev would have meant (axing the wool kings, and accused the Government- of connivmg at profiteering in connection with wheat and flour product ion. CONFIIHWCK IN MR. YOVN(i. RESOLUTION AT HAMILTON. [BY TELEGRAPH.-—OWN" CORRESPONDENT.] HAMILTON. Tuesday. An enthusiastic meeting of supporters of the candidature of Mr. ,J. A. Young, M. P., for Hamilton, carried the following resolution unanimously: "That this meeting desires to place, on record its high appreciation of the able services rendered to the Dominion, and to the Hamilton electorate in particular, by our member. Mr. J. A. Young, during the term of the present Parliament, and that, all present express their utmost confidence in him as their member, and pledge themselves to do their utmost to secure his re-elec-tion as the member for Hamilton." A strong committee was appointed to further A Mr. Acting's candidature.