HOUSE SHORTAGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22896, 26 November 1937, Page 12

HOUSE SHORTAGE

GOVERNMENT BLAMED CHAOS BEING CREATED PROTECTION OF TENANTS THE DRIFT TO THE CITIES LIIV Ti:i. I■M It A r lI—SI' KC'I AhTt K PORT RR ] WELLINGTON*, Thursday Allegations that Government policy was largely responsible for tho situation which necessitated the placing of further restrictions on the rights of landlords were made by Opposition speakers during the committeo stage of the Finance Bill in the House of Representatives early this morning. The discussion arose regarding the new clause in the bill which provides that evictions from houses covered by the Fair Rents Act can only be mado if alternative accommodation is available for the tenants.

The Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, said the necessity for the clause arose from countless cases of real hardship which had been brought to the notice of the Government. Ho knew ,of numerous cases in which houses had changed ownership and tho new owners, requiring the dwellings for their own purposes, had left the original tenants without a roof over their heads. Government Held Responsible "The position is every bit as bad as the Minister has stated," said the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates (Opposition—Kaipara), "but the point I want to make clear is that he and the Government are mainly responsible for the chaos which is being created. At the moment the direct result of the Government's policy is to bring people into the cities, and it is small wonder the cities are becoming overcrowded. The Government has shown itself wholly incapable "of dealing with the situation." The Prime Minister, Mr. Savage; The last Government was responsible for the housing shortage. We arc cleaning up the moss. Mr. Savage's Promises "The Prime Minister is the chief villain in the piece," said Mr. Coates. "He has been promising that all sorts of things are going to be done." The Prime Minister: And they will be done. f "That is all we can get from the Prime Minister these days," retorted Mr. Coates. "He says, 'Give us time, givo ns plenty of time, and we will deal with the matter. We arc not going to let you down.' While he says that, people who are being forced out of their homes, come to these buildings and sec the Minister of Finance, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary in charge of Housing—" Mr. Nash: And the right lion, member for Kaipara. Mr. Coates: Yes. they come to me and saj they can get nothing done for them. They admit that, after all, we did something. Drift from the Country

Mr. J. A. Roy (Opposition—Clutha) said there was no doubt that tho drift from the country to the towns was largely responsible for the present situation. If the. .Minister came to his district he could show him half a dozen farms from which the farmers had walked off to go to the cities. The .Minister of Education, the Hon. ]'. Frase.r: Don't be childish. That is absurd. Mr. Roy: It is no use the .Minister getting hot under the collar. These farms have been left lying idle And the houses are empty. Mr. J. Hargcst (Opposition—Awania) said he agreed entirely with tha view that the drift to the towns was causing tho trouble. Grown as Landlord Mr. A. C. A. Sexton (Independent— Franklin) raised the point that, in the ordinary course of events, such a clause would not bind tho Crown. It would be advisable for the Minister to make an addition so that the clause would apply to rented houses in which the Crown acted as landlord. "1 will look up the Act and see what can bo done.' 1 said the Minister. "There is no question about it,, if the State is the landlord it will have to provide alternative accommodation for its tenants. So long as a tenant pays his rent and observes all the conditions of his tenancy, he must receive protection."