RURAL HOUSING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 29, 4 December 1945, Page 6

RURAL HOUSING

IMPORTANCE OF SCHEME

GREATER IMPETUS URGED

The importance of rural housing j was stressed by Mr W. Sullivan j Bay of Plenty) speaking in the House of Representatives. Mr Sullivan commented on a statement i>3 T the Minister of Finance (Mr Nasli) i} who had said that it was proposed to allow farmers, to enter claims for the special depreciation allowances as announced in the Budget in respect of bouses erected for the sole use. of employees. The scheme mentioned would apply to all plant and buildings (acquired after a date which would be specified) for us;' in ihe production of anj r taxpayers assessable income. Mr Sullivan .said he was glad to .see that the Minister bad answered the question in the vein that he had. Rural housing was a very serious problem. One could quote numbers of cases of single men Avho had reached marriageable age or who bad got married but whose employers could not provide them with married men's accommodation. As assistance had been given to industry generally to provide homes for it was fair and reasonable that a scheme should be worked out to encourage people to stay in the country and on the land. Capital expenditure for that purpose would be all to the good. One trouble that the farmer in the. outback was up against was the extent to which costs were loaded against him when building. / sending up the price of a house by £250 to £300 as compared with one in an urban area. It was due mainly to the increased travelling allowances and other conditions which all went to build up the price.

The taxation that the Minister got back from the expenditure of money involved in building a £1500 or £1000 home was between £280 and £300, and that was a serious matter. The Minister had disputed those figures but qualified accountants could show that they were cor-> rcct. To build a house 15 or 20 miles out in the. country one had to allow about £60 for travelling costs. Mr Sullivan said he was not going to quibble about that. It was a question whether the primary industry could afford to pay it. Unless the primary producers were given some there would be further" depletion of population of the country areas. The building industry was not worrying. If costs went it could pass them on. It was a question whether the producer could meet the high costs of providing accommodation which they wanted him to provide.

Mr SulKvan said he wished to draw the attention of the Minister of Labour to the fact that under

the last award covering the building trade, one had to go to the. trade ! union secretary in the particular district and get a declaration as to whether it was a .suburban work or country work before one could undertake the job. That was an unfair condition. If one did not adopt that course, one had to pay suburban rates. The Court should lay down the decision and define clear- 1 !

ly and definitely what was suburban work and what was country work. It would then be for the Labour Department to see that the employer honoured the condition written into the award. The present position was not fair to contractors. If it was suburban. work transport had to be provided, and hours worked in excess of forty had to be paid at the rate of time and a half. Under the old award when it came to coun-

tn T work the employer was able to negotiate with his men as to the hours to be Avorked each week. The responsibility was on the employer to provide suitable transport and lodgings. the contractor did not know what lie would have to face up to until be got a ruling from Ihc local trade union, .secretary. A Government Member: It is an agreement between two parties. Mr Sullivan said it should not be Ihere. The "'Member: Why say it is a rul,ing ? Mr Sullivan said that no industry should be asked to go along to a trade union secretary for a decision a.s to whether it was suburban work or country work. The thing was entirely wrong. The trade union secretary was not competent to jjiidg'e. ft was a definite interference with industry he maintained,

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