SLUM CLEARANCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26746, 15 April 1948, Page 8

SLUM CLEARANCE

COST OF PROPOSED SCHEMES QUESTION OF GOVERNMENT’S CONTRIBUTION The Municipal Association of New Zealand is to request the Government to state upon what principles and in what proportion it will contribute ,to the cost incurred by a local authority in the resubdivision and reclamation of crowded areas in accordance with the Government’s undertaking in this respect as set out in the Housing Improvement Act. A motion to this effedt was brought forward at the annual conference yesterday afternoon by Dr R. G. McElroy, Auckand. Dr McElroy said that the corresponding legislation in England specified the amount to be paid by the Government. The Act in the Dominion did not make provision for any specified amount of contribution from Government funds for slum clearance work, although the Government made it quite clear that it expected to make a substantial contribution. The speaker added that the Minister of Finance appeared reluctant to commit himself to anything, but if the Government was anxious to stimulate slum clearance it could do nothing better than to define the amount it was prepared to pay as its share of having schemes carried out. Mr J. E. Tait, Christchurch, said thal extensive slum clearance would have to be faced in the future, and therefore the Government should . declaie its intentions in respect to its contributions to the cost. The remit was carried without further discussion.