HIGH RENTS FOR SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3020, 6 March 1917, Page 6

HIGH RENTS FOR SOLDIERS

* AT FEATHERSTON AND TRENTHAM "A SPORTING PROPOSITION"

Married soldiers in camp find an increasing difficulty in securing suitable house-room for their wives and families in the vicinity of the camps. So far from becoming easier, the situation is growing worse, from the soldiers' point of view and many officers, n.c.o.'s, and men, who will only be in camp for a specified time, are paying extraordinary prices for single rooms in cottages of four or rive rooms, which, in ordinary times, would bo let for less than £1 a week for the whole cottage. These rates could not he paid for more than a short time without serious hardship. Thus it will, be seen that the case of the men «of the.camp staffs Is worsa than tho Expeditionary Force men. They have to find a place of abode the rent of which will come within their modest means, aud it is a most difficult problem to solve. To take Featherston first, inquiry shows that at the present time there are no cottages to let, a number of new houses are being built, and, since the camp was mado near Featherston the town lias had a number of nsat-loolcmg cottages added to its buildings. For the greater part, however, these have been built by persons who have gone to live in Featherston, and whoso work is in connection with the camp, in a civilian way—taxi-drivers, shop-ke;-pers, and others. I "I don't think you could get a cottage here for !"ess than £3 or £4 a week." a soldier seid, "and furnished would cost over.£s. I know, because I've tried to s;et one. I dor.'t- fancy the one-ronm iden, nor the teufs." The paddocks bordering on the main road to the csfrnp are dotted with unpaintcd board buildings and tents set lip on a canvas frame. The owners of the land charge a weekly rent of several shillings for -these sites and those which are in. tho lee- of groves of pine trees when the prevailing wind is blowing, command liizhor rents than those in the open. This is claimed to be the cheapppt way to live, and the outlay on timber and canvas is.not too heavy for the average soldier who has saved a few pounds. On his departure ho can sell to another man in khaki. But theso places have absolutely no comforts cr conveniences. They aro hot in summer and cold in winter. One realises, on seeing them, and noting the little home-touches to their roughness that have' been given by a woman's hand, what sacrifices are being made by the women of New Zealand wlio«e busbands have cnlisttd or been called up. Not Asking for Favours. "Wo don't ask favours from landlords," an officer said,, when asked for his views of the matter, "Naturally, it is human nature to mako the best of a good market, hut 10 per cent, ought .to bo a good enough return on capital "spent in a cottage, say, 12 or 15. per cent., to bo sure that thoro shall be no hardship. Now, wo think this: The people who demand from soldiers, or who accept a soldier's offer of an exorbitant rent, are simply robbing tho men who aro going out to fight to- save them from the Germans. On tho other hand, those who will take 10 to 15 per cent, ou their capital outlay, as rent, aro acting in a sporting manner. There aro a number of theso good people about, and thero is room for many more."

On this basis, a £500 house, which is above the average price near tho camps, would bo worth from 2fls. to 30s. a week—much more than would bo obtained for it in pre-war days, either at Trentliam or Featherston. In the case of Featherston, it is considered that there is more excuse for the high rents than at Trentliam, because, after I tho war, the Wairarapa town is ex- ' pected to. lose a largo number of its present temporary residents. Trentliam, on the other hand, is regarded as a rising suburb, and to build thero is not likely to (involve the owner in an immediate serious fall, in value, let somo of the rents charged at Trentliam and neighbourhood are quite as -high as those at Featherston. For example, a whare of two rooms, furnished with bare necessaries, lets at £2 ss. a week; a cottage of about five rooms, furnished with table silver and linen, is £6 a week, or £7 if let for only ono week. Compare with these a new five-roomed house with kitchen, hot and cold water and patent drainage, seems cheap at £3 a week, furnished. A small furnished cottage of. two rooms and lean-to, about a mile from camp is also comparatively cheap at £1 ss. a week, though the "sporting" proposition would not apply even to those lowerpriced cottages. In both Featherston and Irentham there are broadminded generous, justice-loving owners who are not out to make a profit from the soldierj Their cottages and wharos are let to permanent soldier tenants at tho same rate as in the days before the war; and, needless to say, these tenants are perfectly content to stay. On tiio sido of the house-owners this has been said: the khaki'covers a multitude of typos, and there have been , numerous Ilittings without paying rent after a few weeks' stay in a comfort able- cottage. "If we. have cheap rents, we get cheap tenants," another house-owner said. "Tho people who pay moderately nigh rents are good tenants, as a rule " The result of tin's scarcity of houses has caused the letting of rooms to 'be x steady business, tho also of tho kitchen and cooking appliances going with each room. In one house i-there may bo live soldiers and their wives, each couplo occupying ono room, which is used as a sitting-room ns well as a bedroom. Usually Jus. or £1 a week is charged for this accommodation. Jhe kitchens are busy places at meal- • timps.

"AVr get a. lot of fun out «f it" a soldier's wjfo said, "but there is no homo comfort. It's just an oxistingplace, as it were. Still we don't mind. Our men will havo.to fare worse than this bye-and-bve."

'Hie real state of the case is that there arc not enough houses to go round. Tf the rents -.vere lowered, even fewer people would lie taken in, in the actual souse, ay. enoli cottage would have only one family as inmates. The price of building material is high at present,, unci, not knowing how they will faro aTter the war, the builders of cottages desire to cover their outlay ns quicklv as possible. "Why don't the soldiers' wives and families stay In their own Ironies in Duncxlin, or Riissell. or wherever their homes were?" is another question which has been asknti. In fact' it has been stated that this is the Government's view of the matter. The. reply always is that wives and children wish to see all they can of the husbands and fathers while tlioy are in camp. It is human nature to want to do this, and, though it makes a cut, into- the family savings, they will pa.v almost any rent'to carry out their desire.