WORKERS’ HOMES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16455, 6 June 1919, Page 3

WORKERS’ HOMES.

ADVANOE OF £IOOO POSSIBLE,

Per Press Association,

WELLINGTON, June 5

Before the Industries Committee Mr. Campbell, head of the State Advances Department, said that the present limit for workers’ homes was £450, but admittedly it was not enough in view of the advance of prices. Under the State Advances to Settlers system, however, the limit for a house was now £IOOO, and a worker could, apply. The chairman said that was not generally known. Mr. Campbell said Jibe fact had been published and he was receiving applications. It was then suggested that the margin of safety required was too large, but Mr. Campbell said they must protect the lenders of the money. He gave some interesting details of the operations of the Department from which it appeared that when the Department was compelled to realise it had never reached its margin. Fortunately the number of foreclosures was small and no harm was done. The Department had encountered dishonest pt'oplo who bolted as soon as they got hold of the money; it also had much trouble at Waihi and on the West Coast of the South Island, but was quite capable of bearing its losses, because it had built up an adequate reserve. A dangerous position had never been approached. The Department, he added, had never used Post Office Savings Bank money.