"HOMES IN THE COUNTRY."

Press, Volume L, Issue 14980, 29 May 1914, Page 4

"HOMES IN THE COUNTRY."

BACK TQTHE.LAXD.

At tho * armors' Fniou Provincial Conference, yesterday, the question of homes ior rural workers was discussed. J ho discussion arose from the following remit being forwarded by the Loburn branch^'That it bo a recommendation from this Conference to local bodies to favourably consider the application of workers for farm labourers' homes."

Mr E. aielntosh, in moving there nut, said his loc.il County Council-did not teem to view the scheme with favour, as it was afraid, of tho possible liability. a .: .

The president said thero appeared to be sorao hitch in tho adminstratioo of tho Act; local bodies considered that if tho cottages wero empty they would'bo responsible to the Government for tho rent of the cottages. This made them chary of luking the responsibility. ■•• Mr Andrew pointed out that local bodies bad tho power of -getting the land and erecting cottages and putting workers in them, but tbero ettH appeared to be. something'wanting in tho administration of tho Act. ■"■

v -^ r , t,a !; dner said the local body had to find the interest- and sinking'fund, the Government finding the money. Mr Lill denied that the Government found the money. The local bodies wore only empowered to raiee a loan without oalung a. poll o f ratepayers on the matter. It was purely a- matter for the t, ies - H e did hot think many of the County Councils would do anything under the present conditions. * Mr Erans said tho Act was a.' sten in tho right direction. It was not posed to provide man with farms, but merely with a home. Working men all complained that they had no piaco to get a home, and they ought to be very thankful to the Government for what it had done in the matter.

Mr Horrell said the r 'ifal Workers' Act started at a meeting of the Cust Farmers' "Union,i when the Prime Minister was present. Mr Maesey was asked if any single person who wished to build a homo could claim to buy land from a farmer holding more than a cortain amount. 3lr Massey hesitated to t.cjreo to thiSj but th.ose powers were later delegated to the County Councils in the Act referred to.

Mr Sh'eat said if they wanted a happy rural population they must provide homos tor thorn, and he thought the Act brought down/ by the present Go* vernment a. very fine one , . The FT>eaker iavoured the orection of single homes, not groups of homes, such as the Wil-low-bridge Settlement, where worTceri" might enter into competition with each C-ther. The- farmers did not want to ehearen and real's*? labour; they merely wanted the labour there for the purpose of carrying on the work of production.

Mr said the oues+ion was the most important one of tho day. In the towns was unemployment, and, in the country there was work poinc bepging. The cause; was eaid to be the foct that a man had to Iceop two houses pome: there was no home for his family in the country. They would never do away with the spirit of Socialism until they took the townsfolk with no future and put them on a piece of pood land in the country and uave them an interest in the land of the country. Ho thought the Government should pivo bij?ge»* holdings, and not spend quito so much on elaborate hour.es.

Mr Benjamin doubled <iuellinj* of Socinl'wn by tho means of homes in rural distrirts; An oxrenment of the nature pttem"+<vfl hv tht>, Lvttel+on Boroupli Cou"d'. but it had beon a f-ilure. It would bo far more trouble to get the townsmen en tixe land to get the land for them.

Mr CuHen.saJd it was the country's rising generation that needed to be catered for. Ho had > not any faith in geltiug townsmen into the country. Mr Seth-Smith concurred with the previous speaker. After a further brief discussion the remit was carried.