THE HOUSING PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 66, 10 December 1921, Page 12

THE HOUSING PROBLEM

Sir,—The papers have given a great deal of prominence to this matter lately. I have not, however, seen any mention of attempts of our Labour members of Parliament to help along matters in this connection. I feel strongly that if they showed themselves conversant with the matter and tried to remedj’ some of the defects of the system they would be deserring of the thanks of the class in the community who are compelled to be purchasers of Government cottages. For pitiable is the condition of these purchasers. These men have high hopes. No doubt a large proportion of them are young men with young and increasing families. No doubt they confidently look foi-ward to making these places their permanent homes, of impressing them with those marks and signs which they think should characterise a ’home. No doubt some of the purchasers look forward to adding perhaps, one or two rooms to accommodate Johnny or Jean when he or she grows older . and requires the privacy of a room. Vain are the dreams of such dreamers because they are doomed to be disappointed—for this reason: The law as it is at the present time is to the effect that notwithstanding the fact that a man may have paid to the Government the full purchase price and interest on libs holding and may have improved it out of recognition by his own unaided efforts, yet he cannot make one penny profit on his work. He must sell it for a price which does not exceed Hie maximum allowed by the Housing. Act. He can make as much, loss as he likes, but no profit. It is obvious that during the time engaged in paying oft a purchase price the value of a property may rise or fall; there may be a rise m property in a particular district because of the execution of a public voik, eg the construction of a railway station the laying off of a new road. No hatter the’price of that property even though it may find itself, surrounded by business sites and premises mus not exceed the maximum as fixed by the Act. In ray humble opinion legislation wluch lias this effect is diametricallv opposed to the best interests of the labouring man. Tie should be encouraged to make his house 'his home free and unfettered, that he can call his home when he has paid for it. I venture the hazard that ilot one in ten of these Miramar purchasers knows that, even when he has paid his £lOOO for the house that he L s bought, no mortgage, or lease or sale, or assignment will be va id uiiless it meets with the approval of the Housing Department. Let, these men who hare £!d fm- their properties try to raise 'money on mortgage of them, and I agai/ venture the hazard that they will &re difficulty in getting any one money when that person knows that it he has afterwards to exercise his right to sell the property he will be able t sell only to an. approved I>uyer. This legislation is about 1090 jea » behind the times. Lt smacks ot the feel O f "mortgage,” the original moaning of which word was the dead hand, a Reference to the difficulty of land back again when it had got into he dead hand, i.e., been mortgaged. In this connection, it is to peruss the judgment of Lord Blackstone. He prefaces his inquiry into the different kinds of civil property by the remark that from the very earliest tnw£ it has always bscn recognised-Uiat deal ing with such property should be as free and unrestricted as possible. I wrote hundreds of years ago and. we ol the 20th century are faced with that which he condemned so long ago. If the Government doos not wish to sell the fee simple of these lands,,then they ought to lease thorn, and the men who have gone into them would know where they stand. No doubt t ' le for the restrictions is a desire to stop “ffiokhi My "Ply '« ‘“.lt'S it is as natural for a man to sell and make money as it is for him to love a ‘woman, and the Government of this country cannot stop him. It . tlley wish to put down dealing in their pi perties, let them make a rule that no inan shall bo capable of acquiring more Dian one house unless ho satisfies the Housing Board of his bona tides on the predict that when these cottages have been paid for, there wll arise a demand for an unencumbered title, which demand the Government will I not be able to resist. I But the wrong ought to bo put light i now Those honest, hard-working men should not be hoodwinked into putting their money into concerns out o f w h.^. h thev will experience the greatest djfticnltv in withdrawing it. Apologising for trespassing at so great a length. am ’ - tC ” PRO BONO PUBLICO