THE ADVANCES DEPARTMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19258, 23 August 1924, Page 2

THE ADVANCES DEPARTMENT

TRUSTING APPLICANTS AND LAND AGENTS. TAKING A LONG CHANCE. (Fbom Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, August 23. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr T. M. Wilfprd) stated In the House •of Representatives that It had been brought to his notice that builders, speculators, and others had been Liking advantage of the announcement made by the Government that advances would be found to enable workers to build homes by offering to sell sections to people who had not homes, and telling them that there would be no difficulty whatever in building homes. A case had just been put before him in which a man had actually mortgaged his furniture to pay £SO down to a speculator for a section. The result was that the man’s money was gone, his furniture mortgaged, and there was no chance of his getting money for months to come if he put ji: r.r> application now. Would the Prime Minister make it clear to the people that there were plenty of applications already in to keep the Advances Department occupied for many months, and that new applicants had no chance of getting money to-day. The Prime Minister said that he had not heard of such n case as that, but he knew that a ■ good many unwise things had been done by people who had been looking forward to being able to take advantage of the Advances Department to borrow money to build homes. So far as speculation was concerned the Government was not going to have it. The Government had no money for speculators, and he had instructed tho Department that it was not to encourage speculators, or to do anything in the way of bringing about a boom. He was sorry for the person referred to, but he could not see that he'could do anything for him. He had tried to make it clear that the Department was doing its best to keep abreast of the applications, but he believed there were applications enongb now to keep the Department doing for the next two or three months without any others coming in. Mr Wilford: ,Ten months. The Prime Minister: No. I have a better idea of it than that. If the hon. member asked for a return he would be glad to supply information showing that what he had said was correct. Mr S. G. Smith (Taranaki) said the Department was a very long time dealing with applications. There were very great delays. The Prime Minister (warmly); The hon. member lias been doing all he can to discredit tho Department and the Government. He added that the Department had authorised at least 10,000 applications and 8000 applicants had already got money.

Mr Smith: Who ? The Prime Minister: The people who deserve It.

Mr Wilford: Well,'don’t get angry. The Prime Minister: It is enough to make anyone angry when such remarks are made across the floor of the House. The department, he maintained, had done wonders, and he might have another announcement to make within a week or so. At all events the Department had enough money in hand to go on nt the present rate.