RURAL HOUSING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23773, 28 September 1940, Page 13

RURAL HOUSING

CONCERN IN COUNTY WHAKATANE OPPOSITION MOVE TO RESCIND DECISION [from our own correspondknt] WHAKATANE, Friday Following the strong disapproval ol ratepayers' meetings hold at Edgecumbe, Taneatua and Wnimana, and the presentation of a petition from 26 ratepayers in the AVaimana-Nukuhou area, notice of motion was given at the monthly mooting of the Whakatane County Council to rescind the council's former resolution favouring the rural housing scheme. An Order-in-Council recently gazetted had authorised the council to raise a loan from the Government of £50.000 for rural housing, hut the move met with opposition in the county and the ratepayers' meetings resulted. The county chairman, Mr. J. L. Burnett. said he had addressed the meetings referred to and it seemed that the question of the securing rate of 31-40 d in the pound was worrying the ratepayers. He had made the position clear, but, rightly or wrongly, they had the idea that they would be called upon to pay the rate sooner or later. The farmers appeared to think the scheme was a political move, t Mr. Burnett said there was the possibility of a slump, with assets deteriorating. The towns were getting the advantage of a building programme made possible by created credit through the Reserve Hank. "If and when there is a writing-down, as there assuredly must he, the loss will have to be faced by the taxpayers of New Zealand, not only by the ratepayers," he added. "If we do not take advantage of the credit others will, and when there is that writing-down they will at least have the asset." Mr. H. C. McCready, who described the housing scheme as "an attempt to hamstring the farming community as a whole," gave notice to move the rescission of the council's resolutions favouring the raising of £50,000.