STATE MOUSE RENTALS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 50, 12 October 1949, Page 4

STATE MOUSE RENTALS

Sir.—l feel that I must bring “Mac Nuts” back from the realms of fantasy he got to in Wednesday’s Beacon. Beer, bus sex-vices, theatres and private rental houses invariably pay dividends to the owners and shareholders, on the other hand, everything the State touches, including houses, suffer losses that have to be paid for by increasingly excessive taxation. As one of the long suffering taxpayers I say I’ve had more than enough! I do not object to paying taxes to help a pehsioner into a cheap house.

I do not object to having part of my income used to better the living conditions of that part of the community in no position to purchase their own homes.

But I do object strongly to having to pay part of the rent for a man who earns more money than I do!

Taking the country as a whole the demand for State houses has always exceeded the supply. “MacNuts’s” statement td the contrary is sheer poppycock!

As for rents, before' the war anything comparable to a State house was worth 37/6 to 45/- per week, and that when wages were under £5 per week.

In answer to a question in the House recently Mr Nash admitted that many people earning £l2 per week were living in State houses but that unfortunately nothing could be done about it.

I suggest that something could apd should be done. • Let State houses come under the Fair Rents Act, allowing a special rebate for lower income groups, and you will find that once the monetary advantage is removed those who can afford it will soon own their own homes or at least will be paying a reasonable rent for their houses and not living in other people’s pockets as they are now!

Yours etc.,

“MAC”