SOLDIERS’ HOUSES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19269, 5 September 1924, Page 8

SOLDIERS’ HOUSES.

IS THEBE PROFITEERING? DEPUTATION TO PRIME MINISTER. SOME PLAIN TALK. (From Odr Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, September 3. Is there profiteering in soldiers’ houses in the cities ? The question was suggested by a discussion that took place in the Prime Minister’s room this morning when representatives of the Dunedin R.S.A. —Messrs P. S. Anderson and A. C. Laing—interviewed Mr Massey and the Hon. Mr M'Leod (Minister of Lands) regarding Government loans for building soldiers homes in Dunedin. Mr Anderson said they did not want to embarrass the Government, and they certainly appreciated the goood work it had done in housing and settlement in the country, but they felt that there had been an inclination to neglect the towns while the country was stiff being provided for. , Mr Massey; Do you knot? of any soldiers-’ houses in Dunedin having been sold that were erected within the last 12 months ? Mr Anderson : I do not. Mr Massey (to the other member.of the deputation); Do' you know of any soldiers who have sold their houses during the last 12 months? q, ' Mr Laing; I do not know of any. Mr Anderson said that in some oases it had been necessary to make transfers. He did not know of any speculating. Mr Massey; It has been reported to me. Mr Anderson said that what the deputation was asking for was that the money should bo readvanced as it was repaid. Mr Massey: There is no trouble about that. The trouble is that we have not enough to go round. He added that the houses were built out of borrowed money, and that had to be repaid. Mr Anderson said money had come out of the Consolidated Fund. Mr Massey : I beg your pardon. xou don’t need to tell mc‘ that, my boy. I am in charge of the finances of the people of this country, and I know what is going on,‘and I tell you that the money with which these houses were built was borrowed money, and we have to find interest on that. Mr Anderson: What we ask for is that the money, as it is paid, should be lent Mr Massey: I am prepared to listen to that, but there is a terrible amount ot money wanted for others as well as lor soldiers. People have been driven out and have had to walk out of their homes. Soldiers can go to the State Advances Department as well as others. There is nothing to prevent their doing that. Let these people who vou say want houses come forward. Wc cannot guarantee to find houses for every soldier, but we have done the best wo can, and we shall continue to do ‘the best we can. . Mr Anderson: Not every soldier is m need of a house. . . , Mr Massey: I have been three .times to Dunedin within the last 12 months, and not a single application was made to me bv a returned soldier for a house. Yet suddenly this agitation develops and there are letters and sub-leaders in the P a P®™When I was there I was not asked by the R.S.A. for a copper. Mr Anderon: That is because of the natural shyness of. the Dunedin people said a great deal had been done and vis being dpno for the returned soldiers. If they got out of the losses on land, stock, etc., at £5,000,000 they would "iLTe^Hon 1 ' Mr M‘Leod (Minister of Lands); Yes, lam afraid that is so. Mr Anderon: The town chaps-are also entitled to consideration. . Mr Massey: Do you know Iww many houses we have advanced op m the towns. Mr Anderson: Dunedin has not had as many as the others. Mr Massey: Because Dunedin did not ask for them. The recent applications were the first we have had from Dunedin , for a long time. . , Messrs Munro and Dickson M.P. s, stated that soldiers had come to them and they had been moving through the department to get mpney for houses. . Mr Massoi again laid emphasis cm the fact that the Government could only go a certain length in such matters. It had to make the money go round, and he was having a terrible time of it. He had deputy tions from returned Soldiers in Dunedin every time he went there, and there had been no word about this matter of houses. He was there at the show. Mr Anderson: The matter has matured since then. ■ _ The Hon. Mr M'Leod: The advances to soldiers last year for houses was £540,000. Mr Massey: I am not going to allow them to buy any nibre houses with State advances money—soldiers or anyone else. Mr Munro; “Hear, hear.” Mr Massey: The soldier has the same right to go the the Advances Department as a private individual, and he will get just as good treatment. They must take their turn. Mr M'Leod stated that he had figures showing that the transfers far the last quarter alone numliered 187. Of this number 117 were transferred from soldiers to civilians. The soldiers had made up to £SOO profit on them. He had instances in which there was a profit up to £9OO. Mr Massey said that the Government was advancing £oJ for every £1 that came back. Mr Anderson: Well we«are not getting it in Dunedin.

Mr M'Leod asked in reference to transfers was it the desire of the Dunedin association that notwithstanding the fact that quite a number of soldiers were asking for transfers to civilians at considerable profit, that he, as Minister, should refuse sanction of such transfers until such time as the soldiers without homes had had an opportunity of purchasing the said bouses at a price showing little or no profit to the soldiers asking for such transfers, or in other words that soldiers should be compelled to tansfer to soldiers without profit ? Mr Anderson: We don’t want to commit the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association without going into the matter fully. Mr Massey (as the deputation was about to depart): I think you have got some information this morning that you never thought of previously. . .