RURAL HOUSING SUBSIDY

Southland Times, Issue 25548, 16 December 1944, Page 6

RURAL HOUSING SUBSIDY

Councillors Ask For Reinstatement A decision to make further representations to the Government for the restoration of the 10 per cent, subsidy on houses built under the rural housing scheme was made by the Southland County Council yesterday. Councillors deplored the drift from the country to the towns and emphasized the necessity for suitable housing accommodation to attract people to the land. Cr T. Golden contended, however, that it was not so much the housing problem as the 40-hour week in the cities which was having an adverse effect on rural activity. A letter from the Minister of Works (Mr Semple) giving the results of representations made by him to the Minister in charge of the State Advances Corporation was read. The subsidy was not an integral part of the scheme, but was approved as a special measure to encourage the early erection of houses for farmers and farm labour at a time when increased production was being asked. for, and married men were replacing single men in the farming industry, stated the Minister. Consequently, the . subsidy was granted for a limited period only, whereas the Rural Housing Act was a measure of permanent application. The present emergency scheme for providing housing accommodation for farm workers had been drawn up again with a view to meeting the needs of men returning to the industry and thus maintaining and increasing production. The two types of permanent housing which were being made available under that scheme should amply meet immediate requirements, and the Minister was satisfied that the manner of assisting the industry now adopted by the Government would provide a fair means of help where it was needed. He regretted, therefore, added Mr Semple, that consideration could not be given at the present time to the suggestion advanced by the Southland County Council, that the subsidy be reinstated. PRIMARY PRODUCTION “Housing is going to play an important part in the development of our primary industries and we should ask for further consideration for our request,” said Cr L. A, Niederer. “We are a primary producing country and we have got to get the people to go into the country, but first of all we must get houses for the farmers and farm workers.” He referred to the costs of building, and said the reinstatement of the subsidy would place the farmer on the same footing as the city man. It was of vital importance to get the people to go on to the land, and to do that they had to give the farmer and farm workers an inducement in good housing. But with no subsidy they could not be expected to go into the country. “All we ask is that the farmer be given the same building costs as the city home builder; it is going to affect the national wealth of New Zealand and for that reason we must get as many people as possible into the country,” added Cr Niederer. 40 HOUR WEEK IN CITIES Cr Golden: I don’t think housing is going to get the people back to the country. The 40-hour week in the cities is the main attraction. If you arrange for a 40-hour week in the country and a 60-hour week in the cities, then you might get the people back to the country. The best housing subsidy I know of is the removal of the sales tax. Cr W. M. Norman said he regretted that the Government had turned down the application for the subsidy. On Cr Niederer’s suggestion it was decided again to make representations for the reinstatement of the subsidy “so as to put building in the country on the same basis as the city.” The chairman (Cr G. W. Whittingham) said he had little faith in getting the subsidy restored.