THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, November 16, 1937. HOMES FOR THE PEOPLE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23350, 16 November 1937, Page 8

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, November 16, 1937. HOMES FOR THE PEOPLE

“ Then came the Labour Government, and the few houses that were empty were immediately tenanted, and for the first time for many years the birth rate stopped declining and went up.” It will be gathered from this statement, made by Mr Lee in the course of his address to a Dunedin audience on Sunday evening, that the psychological effect of the advent of the Labour Government was remarkable. It might have been expected that, besides encouraging people to occupy empty houses and have larger families, it would have given them the incentive to consult the house-builder. That was not the experience. In a previous utterance Mr Lee stated that houses were being built for renting “ because people were so scared of the possible return to power of the last Government that they would not build their own homes.” A droll situation surely! So the Labour Government stepped in, and by starting house-building on a large scale confirmed the hesitant beyond all recovery in their cautious resolution. In the depression years, according to Mr Lee, there was nothing to stop the building of houses. Evidently he would make no allowance for the existence of common sense. During the years in which, as he has put it, private enterprise “ fell down on its job ” in the matter of house-building in this country the position reflected the lack of inducement to it to show greater activity. Now the State seems fully prepared to assert itself as the universal home-provider. At least according to Mr Lee that is the idea. “ In slum areas there are thousands of houses to be pulled down and new ones put up: rents are going up, and the only way to combat this is to build more and more- houses until there are more dwellings available than applicants.” That is his statement, and as we are told of a hundred applicants for every house it is clear that the Government is only at the beginning of its job, and does not propose to rest on its oars until State dwellings to a thousand designs become the dominant feature of the domestic architecture of the Dominion. Its original proposal was to erect 5000 houses at a cost of £3,000,000 —an average of £6OO per house. It was the idea that dwellings should be made available at cheap rentals to those most in need of them. The construction costs have soared impressively and rentals of from twenty-five to thirty shillings a week are pointed to with piide as a boon to the community. The Government’s scheme represents no fulfilment of its promises. It provides for people in sufficiently good circumstances to be able under normal conditions to give thought to building homes of their own. That thought, because of the Government’s intervention, they must of course now dismiss. To people dwelling in slum areas all these State-built houses, affording the first demonstration, according to Mr Lee, of a housing scheme regarded from “ the humane point of view.” must represent the unattainable. What the Government proposes to do about that when it starts demolition in these areas it has in no way indicated. Yet two years ago it was very keen about doing first things first. To tenants other than those enjoying the blessing of a State-owned house Mr Lee has offered a word of encouragement. From landlords the Government proposes to stand no nonsense. If houses owned by them need improvements they will be ordered to carry them out. But what about the Government Itself in the role of landlord? Will it establish a new precedent for, consideration and

indulgence in the matter of rentcollection, broken windows and so forth? Mr Lee might have held his audience spell-bound had he dwelt upon this theme. Incidentally a picture would -have evolved itself of the State tenant hedged about with rules and regulations, the enforcement of which, were it possible for the average landlord, would make that gentleman imagine the millennium to be at hand. Officers, agents and workmen representing the State Advances Corporation will keep the State houses under their kindly supervision. They must have facilities for entrance, inspection and making repairs. The list of “ shall nots ” to which the tenant must give heed will scarcely be conducive to a restful existence. He is not allowed to assign his tenancy, sublet any portion of his premises, expose goods for sale or hire, drive nails into the walls, hang pictures as he thinks fit, make or allow any alterations to be made in the premises or fittings, nor bring into the house any furniture infected with borer. Without permission he may not put up any notice or nameplates, keep rabbits, fowls, pigeons or other live stock, erect a wireless aerial or take in boarders. As for the drains—but of course it was never said of the New Zealander that his home was his castle.