N.Z. MINISTER IN MOSCOW

Putaruru Press, Volume XXI, Issue 1239, 17 July 1947, Page 8

N.Z. MINISTER IN MOSCOW

INFORMATION SOUGHT

Mr. A. S. Sutherland’s Questions

“ The honourable member is under a misapprehension,” replied the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, in a written reply to Mr. A. S. Sutherland (Hauraki), who asked why it was considered necessary to wait three years before giving the public, through the press, information relating to the activities of the New Zealand Minister in Moscow. Mr. Sutherland said, it was reported that the principal works of the Legation during the past three years had been confined mainly to the mutual exchange of books and films. Discussing the Prime Minister's reply, Mr. Sutherland said one of his constituents with land and other interests in Latvia had asked him to approach Mr. Boswell some two years ago to ascertain the position relating to those interests, as the pre-war practice under which his money had reached him through the International Bank had ceased. Failing any word from Mr. Boswell an approach had been made through Mr. Thorn, the New Zealand Canadian Minister, who had promised to send a letter to Mr. Boswell in the diplomatic bag. .Still there had been no result. The Moscow Legation had cost New Zealand £38,228 last year and £26,214 the previous year, and evidently the Legation was of no value. An officer who had returned from Moscow had nothing to report except that Mr. Boswell and party were well and had withstood the rigours of the Russian winter. It was time that Parliament and the country were given a full report ou Mr. Boswell's activities. State Houses The Minister in charge of the State Advances Corporation, Mr. Nash, in reply to another question by Mr. Sutherland, who asked for an increase in the allocation of State houses to ex-servicemen, said that when it became evident that a large number of returning ex-servicemen would require housing the Minister then controlling the allocation of houses agreed that a.s a commencement 25 per cent, of all the available State rental houses should he specially reserved for eligible returned servicemen. As the demand for houses by ex-servicemen increased, the proportion of houses to he allotted to them was reviewed, aud it was agreed that there was justification for increasing the percentage to 50. Since that time the houses that had become available had been divided equally between civilians and exservicemen approved by the local rehabilitation committees. According to the most recent figures available the outstanding applications for State houses were 3.8,189 by civilians as against 15,125 by ex-servicemen. On the basis, therefore, of the number of applicants, the ratio of distribution was at present two to five, so that, in effect, the proportion in which the houses were allocated was 28 per cent- for civilians and 72 per cent, for ex-servicemen. Mr. Nash said the matter would he kept under review and a percentage adjustment approved if it could he agreed to.