HOUSING SCHEME

Waikato Times, Volume 118, Issue 19665, 27 August 1935, Page 8

HOUSING SCHEME

ACTION BY GOVERNMENT.

HINT FROM PRIME MINISTER. SUBSIDY TO LOCAL BODIES. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, Monday. The possibility of a housing scheme as part of the Government’s legislative programme for the coming session was hinted at by the Prime Minister, Mr Forbes, to-day. “I* cannot give you any details at present, because the matter has not been discussed in detail, but having regard to the number of very old wooden houses in parts of all chief cities and in many of the smaller towns, it seems at first glance that tho responsibility of action should very largely rest with the municipality,” said Mr Forbes. “The Government will look into the matter at once, with the idea of encouraging municipal building schemes, and my own feeling is that it will be prepared to deal very generously in the way of subsidy with any municipality that will undertake the responsibility of re-building decrepit areas.

“The importance of building os a key industry in the solution of the unemployment problem is so obvious that the scheme indicated should commend itself at once to the public and to members of local bodies.” , Mr Forbes added.