AIR DEPARTMENT SEEKING INCREASES IN OHAKEA RENTS

Wanganui Chronicle, 7 October 1950, Page 6

AIR DEPARTMENT SEEKING INCREASES IN OHAKEA RENTS

PALMERSTON NORTH. Last Night (OC)—From 1939 uitil this year members of the Royal New Zealand Air Force who have occupied Air Department houses have paid rent on the i basis of earnings, there being a graduated scale of rents according to rank, ranging from £4O a year for a leading aircraftsman to £B4 for the top category of officers. Employees of other Government departments occupying Air Force houses have paid rents on a similar basis. Air Department is now endeavouring to change the system so that rentals will be charged according to the rental value of houses on the open market, and in some instances the increases being sought amount to more than double the rents at present beiig paid. At the RNZAF Station at Ohakea, 15 occupants of Air Force houses are objecting to the increased rentals and in the Palmerston North Magistrate’s Court Air Department applied to Mr J. R. Herd, S.M., to fix the rentals under the Fair Rents Act. Mr. J. Williams appeared for the department and Mr. A. M. Ongley represented all 15 of the objectors, three of whom were employees of the Ministry of Works occupying Air Department houses on the Ohakea station. It was stated during the course of the hearing that Air Department had similarly attempted to obtain increased rentals for departmental houses on the Hobsonville and Woodbourne stations. In the former case the applications had been adjourned sine die and referred back to the Air Department to negotiate for an agreement. At Woodbourne an order by consent had been made, increasing rentals to 28s a week. Mr. Ongley contended yesterday that the court had no jurisdiction to deal with the applications because the houses at Ohakea were occupied under service occupancies and not normal tenancies. As such, the court had no power to fix the rents. Mr. Williams submitted that personnel were not compelled to occupy the houses as part of their service but were permitted to occupy them on application. Unless personnel were required to occupy the houses as part of their contract of service t'he occupations coujd not be classed as service occupancies. Mr. Herd said insufficient information had been placed before him to enable him to decide whether the occupations were service occupancies or tenancies. There had been some evidence of a form of contract under which the tenants were required to surrender possession of the houses on departing from the station but he desired to be given specific information about the terms of these contracts. In addition, said Mr. Herd, there had been reference to an agreement between the Public Service Commissioners and the Public Service Association that the rents of departmental houses would not be increased to employees who were in occupation before July, 1950. This had an application in respect of the three Ministry of Works employees involved and he required specific information on this agreement. Mr. Williams undertook to obtain from Air Department detailsof the terms of contracts with personnel occupying houses, and Mr. Ongley offered to provide information regarding the agreement between the Public Service Commissioner and the Pubjic Service Association. Pending receipt of this information Mr. Herd reserved his decision.