THE HOUSING PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 245, 10 July 1919, Page 5

THE HOUSING PROBLEM

1, GOVERNMENT Oil- MUNICIPALITY? A harrowing account of the conditions uuder which somo good but poor people in this city have to live owing to the lack of decent housing was given by Mis. Beck, a member of th'e Charitable' Aid Board, speaking for a Labour deputation which waited 011 Ministers of the Crown yesterday. She urged the need for Government action to provide better housing for the people.

Sir James Allen, replying, said that he was not fully acquainted villi the housing problem. He had seen the report of the Board of Trade on" the coal industry, and full consideration would bo given to that report. But ho did not think it was right to look to t'ne Government for'everything. To his mind it was purely the duty of tho municipal nuliborities to find housing for their own peoplo._ Mr. V. Fraser: The Government will liavo to_ provide the money. Sir TOinos Allen: llow do wo provide muney? By taxing the people. J.-uni-eipalities provido money in the siuno way. It seems to mo that tho municipalities should take upon themselves responsibilities far providing for the housing of the people in their towns, aa<l not to try to plaoe nil the responsibilities un tho shoulders of tho Government. This was merely his own personal opinion, .lie agreed that it was proper that the people should have decent housing, whether fliov were coul-miners or wherever they lived.