HOUSING DISPUTE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22852, 6 October 1937, Page 14

HOUSING DISPUTE

BOARD AND DEPARTMENT QUESTION OF SUBDIVISION " If wo did not attempt to see that justice was done, wo would be failing in our duty to our ratepayers, and I take strong exception to the attitude of the department of housing," said Mr. C. M. McCullough, chairman of the Mount Roskill Road Board, when the board was considering a letter from the department last night. The letter, which was in reply to a a protest from tht> board regarding the size of the sections in a subdivision schemo proposed by the department for an area in Buckland Road, caused considerable indignation among members of the board, as no variation from the original plan was conceded. " The size of these sections, some of them loss than one-sixth of an acre, is a violation of our by-laws," said Mr. 11. Parkinson. "We do not want a slum area in Mount Roskill." A report on the matter was received from the works committee, which considered that it was not clear whether the board's by-laws could be ignored by a Government department, if the Minister of Lands approved the subdivision the final decision would rest with him. The committee requested that a strong protest be recorded at this interference with the powers of a local bodv. . jt was decided to arrange for a special committee of the board to interview Mr. J. A. Lee, under-secretajy in charge of housing, on the site ot the proposed subdivision.