RENT RESTRICTION

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 531, 7 December 1928, Page 8

RENT RESTRICTION

EXTENSION OF ACT DESIRED MR. P. FRASER’S BILL (THE SUN'S Parliamentary Report^ WELLINGTON. To-day. Contending that poor people are living in danger of being turaetPout on the streets, Mr. P. Fraser, Well ington Central, introduced in the House of Representatives yesterday the Rent Restriction Continuance Bill. The Bill was read a first time lu asking leave to introduce the Bill, Mr. Fraser said that it embodied a question of the utmost importance to the poorer people in the cities, and the importance of the continuanceoi the Rent Restriction Act was to be stressed on the present Government and on any potential Government It was certain that, unless the Bill were passed, the Rent Restriction Act would be automatically repealed on January 1, 1929. The war years had caused overcrowding in Wellington, with, a consequent rise in rents, so that in 1916 amending legislation had to be passed regulating rents. This had applied to houses of under £1,300 capital value. Substantially, the Act had remained in force up to the present. In 1916, the Hon. G. J. Anderson, Minister of Labour, had promised to investigate the position to consider bringing down a Bill to extend the legislation. He had visited Auckland and Christcharcb, and had not considered it necessary to go to Wellington aryl Dunedin, as the evidence was all in' favour of the introduction of the Bill. Accordingly in 1927 he had brought down a Bill which passed the House of Representatives and was rejected on the second reading in the Legislative Council by one vote. Finally, after investigations by a special committee, the Bill was passed in a weakened form, extending the operation of the Act to January 1, 1929. If the legislation should lapse, there would be a very serious position for the poorer people, not only of Wellington but of other cities. Mr. Fraser’s Bill suggested that the time should be extended to January 1, 1930, or to August 1, 1929, so that it could be considered during the session. Mr. H. T. Armstrong i Christchurch East) supported Mr. Fraser, saying that already some people had ■» ceived notice that their rents would be raised after January 1. 1929. Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) also spoke in support of the Bill.

The Bill was introduced, read a first time, and set down for second reading on Wednesday next.