THE HOUSING PROBLEM

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14798, 11 November 1921, Page 5

THE HOUSING PROBLEM

DEPUTATION T(TPREMIER WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. SOME INTERESTING FIGURES. (By Telegraph.—Special to Times.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. Replying to a deputation from the Rentpayers' Association on the subject or housing and rent restrictions. Mr Massey expressed pleasure at hearing that tile legislation had been of some use. lie admitted that tenants were entitled to protection, and that it was the duty of the Government'to afford that protection, but at the same time. injustice must not, lie done to the other fellow. That was where the trouble came in. lie agreed that the ideal to be aimed at was a rent not in excess of one day's pay per week, but to achieve this had been very difficult owing to Hie rise in the cost of material, labour, etc., required in the erection of houses. lie corrected the statement that landlords were allowed a rental of 7 per cent, net on present-day value. The value which formed Hie basis of calculation was the 1914 value. The Government had been carrying on its building programme steadily, with the result that in Wellington the department had built 140 houses. People overlooked, too. the building which the Government was assisting in other di'reetions in the workers' branch of State Advances Department, which lent at 4A per cent.: 3108 loans, aggregating £1,374.t>00, had been authorised. In the settlers' branch the figures were G9l and £252,347, and in addition 71 local bodies had received loans totalling £361,400. The houses erected-by the Government through the Labour Department over the Dominion numbered 107 G. These'figures did not. include some thousands of houses built for soldiers. Whatever the Government did, it must not discourage private building. Personally he thought that building operations were keeping up with the. increase in the population. There would be legislation before the end of the session; there must be. First, however, the House had to gel through important financial matters. .Ministers had uol yet considered the whole question, and were not likely to lie able lo do so for another month. He hoped to be able to do something which Would be satisfactory to all concerned. "Wc want," concluded the Premier, "to protect those who require protection."