THE WORKERS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13335, 11 July 1907, Page 3

THE WORKERS.

v ADVANCES FOR HOMES. h Kpeoial—By Telegraph. | li WELLINGTON, July 10. „ An important question was brought un- u dsr the notice, of the Government 'to-day e when. Mr Davey asked whether the Go-' j : verninent intended to amend the Ad- u vances to Workers Act in the. direction of slightly increasing the amount any c one person can borrow. s Tli'i Premier said that there was nrjt j sufficient reason for increasing the maximum (£350) which might be advanced !L to any borrower. The rfck was already very great on this 'class of security, cs- f peciallv in cases where a' section offered d as security was of little or no value.WWo- t, fcers> -desirors of obtaining larger loans 1 acould and did apply under the Government Advances to .Settlers Act', 1906, and loans rj were being regularly granted. As a mat- ;l ter of fact-applicants under the Advances to Workers Act, 19C6, freqrently re- p reived alternative offers from the general t j board of /the office under either Act of jj which they could accept the or.® better g suited to 'their requirements. It should e( be borne in mind that the income limit g of applicants under the Workers' Act was feed at £2OO and repayments on a t] loan of. £350 would seem to be a s much as a person receiving less than £2OO per a; nimum would be justified in undertaking. aj This new department was originated spe- e , cially to meet the requirements of men of small means and not for' men in better circumstances. "A man who could afford • to build a larger house should be in a e; position to apply to the Advances 1 to b Settlers' Department. All the authori- s1 ties were agreed that lb a business of P lending on this class of wcurity could _ only bs> efficiently managed by small and local building socktwf=, whose staffs were ) in constant touch with the borrowers. Tlnre had not been sufficient. fiiri* yet "t" f iud"-e as to whether it would work out 11 succWfullv or otherwif.% and it was too P soon to begin any further developments.