GOVERNMENT POLICY SEVERELY CRITICISED

Chronicle (Levin), 2 September 1946, Page 5

GOVERNMENT POLICY SEVERELY CRITICISED

-Press Association

Bv Telearavh-

WELLINGTON, Kept. 1. Baturday 's session of the annual con feronce of the Public Rorvice Association, was cntirelv devote.d to a discussion on housing difficulties of public servants who, by their liability to transfer, are especially affected by the present housing shortage. A statemen' tssued to the Press says investigations carried out in a number of centres had shown that there were very many desperate cases. It was clear the attitude of public servants was becoming increasingly critical of the Government 's failure to do any th ing for tlio.se employees whom it sent from one part of the country to another. The conference unanimously affirined its existing policy that the Government should be asked to accept responsibilit\ iu such cases and a number of wavs in which this tould be done without in terfering with the rights of other citi zens, were put forward and adopted for presentation. The conference nlso decided to request that officers be not compulsorily transferred uniess housing is made available. The. Association will en deavour to ensure that no loss of grad ing ^or promotion is suffered by those who, because of lack of housing, artunable to accept transfers. It was explaineu that the Government had set up a departmental housing conimittee to endeavour to iiiul a solution to the problem which was not only affecting individual civil servants but was also costing the Government a great deal of nioney - au.d'.was seriouslv -interfering with thajeqiAientni^nt-.and;- ,eitieiency.; of ; the seiyHbi ; ;,l^ie /.Asspciatioit is.|i'epfesented/o'n lliis fionitnift-ee. ?As the speeial ditliculties of ' public servants. are i bound up- witll tlie general question of housing, attention was paid to this also. The conference was insistent that, until the people 's housing needs had been fully satisiied, 110 luxury or nonessential Iniildiug should be perrnitted. Adverse comment was made by a number of delegates, in respect of the failure of 111 any loeal bodies to face up to the problem of transit liousing. The conference considered no real progress would be made in thi.s directiou until the Government adopted responsibility as a matter of national eoncern. The manner in which tlie housing shortage was being exploited by people who charged exorbitant rents for room.s and avoided the provisions ot the Fair Rents Act by supplying bed ' and breakfast, was illustrated by many exampies. It was decided to urge the Government t;o amend the x\ct to extend its profection to oecupants of such establishments. iSimilar sentrments were exjiressed in respect to boardinghouses and private hotels.