FIRST TENANTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25021, 11 October 1944, Page 6

FIRST TENANTS

NEW HOUSING TJNTTS WESTERN SPRINGS PROGRESS The first of the City Council housing units erected near the Western Springs transit camp by the Works Department are now occupied. Three families wero in residence yesterday and it is expected that six more tenants will move in by the week-end. In announcing this yesterday the chairman of the City Council Housing Committee, Mr H. P. Burton, said other units were in an advanced state of construction, so it was hoped to make further accommodation available at. an early date. The remainder of the 40 units planned had been started. "The Housing Committee has arrived at a satisfactory arrangement with the State Advances Corporation for the allocation of the units," ilr Burton added. "Every application will be dealt with on its merits. In no case will an allocation be made to parents without children." Referring to the transit camp. Mr Burton said there would be an early moving out of tenants into the State houses to which they were allotted. The transit camp was first occupied early in August and it was then hoped that the period of waiting in the camp for a rental house would be limited to about three months. He believed that all would be accommodated by the end of that period. A further list of families to take the place of the original tenants was now being compiled. Mr Burton said his committee was impressed by the excellent manner in which the transit camp tenants had conducted themselves. In spite of the unusual conditions, they had pulled together wonderfully and there had been no sign of trouble or dissension. That was largely due to committees appointed by the tenants themselves, the members co-operating wholeheartedly with officials of the council with whom they came in contact. TAXI HITS SAFETY ZONE MAN AND WIFE INJURED When a taxi collided with the safety zone at the Queen Street and Wvndham Street intersection shortly before midnight the driver, Mr J. Piper, of 45 Wellington Street, City, and his wife received injuries which necessitated their removal to the Auckland Hospital. The car was thrown on its side and after being righted blocked the tramline and held up the trams for about 20 minutes. Mr Piper's condition was reported to be fairly serious. Mrs Piper was able to leave the hospital after receiving treatment. . AGENTS' COMMISSIONS TRADE CONTROVERSY An undertaking to pay in full to New Zealand agents commissions deducted in cases where goods were purchased for cash by an agency of the New Zealand Government has been given by the Minister of Supply, Mr. Sullivan, in a letter received by the Bureau of Importers. A statement issued by the bureau says it is to be hoped that such payments will he made retrospective, and that amounts wrongly withheld by the Government .will be paid. "The controversy between the bureau and the Government over the confiscation of agents' commissions collected by the Government from Canadian and American manufacturers on behalf of New Zealand agents has thus been settled," the statement continues. The Government had insisted_ on retaining a portion of the commissions collected, in some cases as much as half of the amount being demanded. In his letter to the bureau, the Minister stated that the position regarding lend-lease goods remained unchanged, as there was no alternative available to the Government under (he terms of its obligations under the Lend-Lease Act than to continue to deal with claims for commissions on the basis of services rendered. The bureau adds that this is in accordance with the lendlease agreement, and in such cases purchases are made bv the United States Treasury and not by the New Zealand supply missions.