THE DEMAND FOR HOUSES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 232, 19 June 1918, Page 8

THE DEMAND FOR HOUSES

Sir,—.4 short time ago you reported an interview with a libuso agent in Wellington, in which he seemed to lie surprised that tho calling up of Second Divihion men did not slacken the demand for houses, but rather seemed to increase it. Surely a house agent, of all people, ought to know that tho mons people come lo live in a town tho greater' will be the demand for houses. When I wrote before about housing' the d£» pendants of country members of tlio Second Division it seems that I did not make* myself very clear. The point 1 wished! to make was: That it will be <|iiilc impassible in the majority of cases for thoi dependants of country members of thu> Second Division to continue to live ini tho country after the men have been; called up, and if you will kindly givome spaco I will show you why. Takotho ease of married men who are working for a yearly wage on bush sheep' farms, and nearly every man in thislocality is doing that. He gets a stated sum of money per annum and allowances, which include a house, free of rent.-Nov, when these men are called to serve, ti)« houses will be needed for the men wlio> will take tliciv places, aud where will th.ei dependants go H To town, of course.. And tho majority of the erstwhile sharemilkers' dependants will do tho same.. 'J'nke tho easo of thoso who own tlie> house they live in. In many cases that: house will bo needed for the manager that will have to be employed during: the owner's absence, and his dependantswill "go to live in town." Supposo the: house is not wanted for a managerMost of tho wives of these men havechildren who are too young to be left in. the house alone, and only some will have relatives or friends able to eomo anil live with them, to help cut tho firewood,, milk the cows, and to ride miles, sometimes on a muddy and dangerous packtrack, to bring in stores and mail, and! help *n times of accident or illness. Ask; any of your lady friends in the city how they would like to live under these conditions, and remember that lots of thowomen I write of are town bred. Sin you see. it' does not matter much what-: the cause is, most of these people will! have to "go to live in town"; and still some people are surprised that the shortage of houses continues. I believo that. 1 long before tho Second Division aroused up the housing problem will bomore acute than the present cost of living is; and I think tho Second Divisiou. League have been blind not to foresee itAmi now, Sir, if you would kindly gWoi me a little more space, I«wmild like to> remark on a speech by the Hon. G. A\.. Kussell in Auckland lately, about thofalling birth-rate. I hold that one na-tive-born-New Zealpjider is worth morathan almost any number of immigrants;, and, farther, that every time a wifopresents her husband with a child, sheperforins a valuable service to the State,, •and it ought lo be paid for as such, i think that in'this, as well as in thehousing problem, our valuable National. Government could well do a little commission, instead of -the eternal omission; ulso, when tliej' say they are going to allow a reservist's wife a certain sum or money they ought to see that she gels it. Surely, at least, one'of your country readers will see the truth in w\\at I have written about the housing problem.—l am. etc., \ Xt.R.