HOUSING PROBLEMS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27248, 26 November 1949, Page 8

HOUSING PROBLEMS

“Wild And Inaccurate Statements ”

POLITICAL LICENCE STRAINED

“ Mr Hudson and Mr Jones are obviously bankrupt of real political capital when they have to select the Dunedin City Council as a target,” stated Mr L. J. T. Ireland, chairman of the Works Committee, in an interview with the Daily Times yesterday, when commenting upon the utterances of three of the Labour candidates in so far as they related to the housing difficulties now facing the people. “Their statements have little or no foundation in fact, and reflect little credit on the candidates,” he added.

“Mr Jones has stated that the Labour Government has built 120,000 houses-in spite of six years of war. That means an average of 8570 houses per annum, All I ask Mr Jones is—where are they? ” Mr Ireland continued.

“ I have a copy of a letter from the Minister of Works which tells a vastly different story. It is dated May of this year, and among other things it informs us that State houses under construction at that time were: North’ Island, 2704; South Island, 883; also that the targets for this year were: North Island 3450 and South Island 1050.

“State houses completed over the five years April, 1944, to March, 1949 were, North Island 11,984, and South Island 2968. These latter figures prove an average of 2990 per annum. Mr Jones is a Minister of the Crown, and one is entitled to expect accuracy instead of an entire neglect of the truth. “Will Mr Jones deny that in/Wellington over 200 homes have been taken over by the Government for departmental use in order to accommodate office staff, etc.—that huge proportion of the population which is being kept busy making paper war on the hapless remainder. “Mr Hudson, an ex-member of the Labour group of the old Council, all of whom laid down on their duty in that council and refused to accept any chairmanships or responsibilities, should be the last person to criticise the council.” Mr Ireland said. “His wild and inaccurate statements about the extension of Corstorphine and the. refusal of the council to agree is a deliberate perversion of the truth, and Mr Hudson knows it. The estimate at that time—and costs have considerably increased since—for main sewers and water mains was in the vicinity of £570,000, not including the cost of sewerage treatment works which would have been essential in respect of the seaward portion of the land. Could he have got the ratepayers to agree to a loan of £570,000 to build 1800 State houses, and would the Government Loans Board have agreed? ” Mr Ireland added. “Mr Hudson and hs friends on the council at that time had their opporturity of suggesting ways and means, but did not have the ability to do so. he continued. “ Can Mr Hudson from the public platform now tell us where he would find the money and what repayments of sinking fund, interest and maintenance would cost? “It is interesting to note from the same Mr Hudson that it is his Government’s policy to force the city on to the heights surrounding the town before they will think of extending in more economical directions. His statement that the City Council wants to keep the high country near the city for private speculators is yet another silly statement which bears no relation to fact.

“A certain amount of licence may be permitted to political candidates when making statements in pre-election speeches, for the majority of the voting public is able to assess them at their true value. Some of the statements made, however, have gone too far. “Mr Walls has stated that ‘the Labour Council had brought forward a scheme under which 265 houses were partly built before it went out of office.’ I challenge Mr Walls or Mr Hudson to prove the truth of this statement,” Mr Ireland continued. “ Furthermore, I would ask them to state which council bought and developed the land in the first place. Will they also explain why the Socialist Government shortened the term of the housing loan after the Labour Council was voted out of office, thereby making the basis of repayments for prospective purchasers prohibitive? ” All Mr- Ireland had to say in conclusion was that when he read the statements referred to—statements uttered by presumably responsible public men —he thought of the title of the New Zealand National Anthem.