HOMES FOR FARM WORKERS

Southland Times, Issue 24273, 2 November 1940, Page 4

HOMES FOR FARM WORKERS

Support For Scheme Sought URGENT NEED FOR HOUSES A unanimous vote urging the Wallace County Council to implement the Rural Housing Act to the best of its ability was passed at a public meeting at Otautau last night addressed by the Hon. Adam Hamilton. An appeal to county councils to support the scheme covered by the Act was delivered by Mr Hamilton, who said that if councils would give their assistance details of administration could be discussed with the Government later. The chairman of the Wallace County Council, Mr B. C. Horrell, who presided, referred to some of the difficulties in the administration of the Act. From a broad viewpoint, he said, something had to be done to put the Act into operation, but if ratepayers had any serious objections they still had one month in which to lodge them. The council would do its best to put the scheme into operation, but he contended that the farmers who needed assistance most would not be able to take advantage of it. “Rural housing is a subject that has been before the public mind for many years now,” Mr Hamilton said. “The fact that houses are being built in towns and cities by a Government department and by various building societies and other lending institutions without any apparent difficulty makes many wonder why this cannot be extended to the rural population. The reason is not hard to find. In the towns and cities houses are built on self-contained surveyed pieces of land and are independent units with usually plenty of demand either by a buyer or a tenant. Building houses on farms is very different, as the house becomes a part of the farming property and it is therefore not easy to give a surveyed clear title to the owner or person financing the house. It is largely to overcome this very real problem that the Government has passed the Rural Housing Act.” NEED FOR HOUSES There was no doubt of the need for more houses in the country, Mr Hamilton continued. Many farmers’ sons and most farm workers when they wished to marry had to go to town to get a house. Many farm workers now employed elsewhere would gladly go on a farm if there was good housing accommodation. “For New Zealand’s present economy and for many years to come it looks as though we shall have to look to the primary industries to provide our export wealth. This necessitates the retention of the necessary population in the country districts to provide this wealth,” he said. “Further rural housing may play a very large part in rehabilitating many married soldiers after the war.” The Government had asked the counties of New Zealand, which were the only controlling local bodies in rural areas, to accept the responsibility for administering the Rural Housing Act. The counties had been given extensive powers and were asked to accept certain liabilities. Some counties had taken up the work quite earnestly, while others seemed to hold the opinion that the State was asking them to shoulder unnecessary liabilities.

“I am of the opinion that the Rural Housing Act is a reasonable effort to grapple with a very vital work and if counties would express their readiness to assist any necessary adjustments in administration could be discussed later between the counties and the Government,” Mr Hamilton said. In discussing the details of the scheme, he said that any county council could advance money to provide houses for a farmer, a farm worker, a member of the farmer’s family principally engaged in work on the farm, or to enable repairs or additions to be made to existing dwellings. A subsidy of 10 per cent, would be provided on all applications received and approved before the end of the present year. The money would be lent to county councils at 3 per cent, and to the person building the house at 3J per cent. The subsidy was being given largely to encourage the building trade, which was regarded as one of the biggest employing trades in New Zealand.