WORKERS’ HOMES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8736, 19 May 1914, Page 4

WORKERS’ HOMES

We notice that the Prime Minister has been, trying to revive that old joke which gives the right honourable gentleman credit for being the author of our workers’ homes policy. This is almost too funny for serious consideration. The workers’ homes system is an offshoot or development of the advances to settlers policy. Wo do not suppose the most ardent of “Reformers” will deny that. Neither can they deny that the State advances enterprise would never have been set up if the Masseyites could have prevented it. The Tory leader himself denounced the idea with all the wealth of ridicule and invective for which ho is famous. He defended Private Enterprise (in this case [another name for Shylock) with all the eloquence at. hie disposal, and contemptuously described the proposal to set up a department to len d ‘ money cheaply to settlers as a mistaken and - ridiculous • plan—in fact, ho said it was simply “starting a State pawnshop”! And now Mr Massey is going round tho country declaring that the workers’ homes scheme was started on his motion—that he can claim the honour of moving the effective resolution by virtue of which the policy was brought into being. Well, well. We are fairly well accustomed to the audacities of “Reform,” and can hardly be surprised at any claim put forward on behalf of tbat unhappy and discredited party; htit wo‘think it only fair to aek Mr Massey■ whether, in the session in which he says he moved his famous resolution, ho did not borrow the idea from the Governor’s Speech. If the facts are looked into, we believe this will he found to have been the case. The idea was an excellent one—but it was. not Mr Massey’s. Speaking of workers’ homes, we have a recollection of Mr Massey saying that the whole policy was useless unless the dwellings could ho let at seven shillings a week. Is the “Reform” Government supplying workers with homes at that price? If not, the who’e affair is useless, according to the Prime Minister.