"NO ENCUMBRANCES."

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 793, 16 April 1910, Page 6

"NO ENCUMBRANCES."

" ' A SERIOUS PROBLEM. •;• (By • TelesraDh.—Special Oorresoondent.) , Auoklandr'April 15. To, tha question. ..whether,/ married couples with children are wanted here the answer, judging. by the result of inquiries in-., labour-- circles, by, :• a .pressrepresentative, seems t&'be , a most .emphatic "No." The Labour Department claims that special efforts ; are made to place farm. couples l with; children in suitable plaoeg in. the country, but farmers object to "encumbrances." They are willing, and often anxious, to engage a married couple, but the mention of children'.' in. nearly every.r-case ends all chances of employment for'the willing parents. This is said to be largely on account'of the difficulty of providing accommodation. Another phase of the problem is that landlords, , in finding tenants for, their houses, generally give a preference to a.;tenant. without" ."encumbrances," and in some,'casea landlords,,; go so far as to refuse to let their house to married couples, with young; children. • Here is a case in point:"A" working ,man who had taken a housel.Tn Auckland recently received n.otice:;from ■ his landlord that he would have to vacate. The man offered ahigher rental,'but it was of no avail. The owner of the house told him Kβ could not continue longer in occupation,' as he had another tenant renting the housej who had no. young .children. .The'children; had .settled -.the-"question.;- .-•■■■■ ■"- ■■' ; . :■ Another.'disability'tha : t''.'presses hard on. mothers is. the 'increasing; difficulty of obtaining hired help in the'household duties. Thereis-a very- manifest .disinclination on the! part, of domestics, to -~take;,engagements where there are.children of'tender years.-: