VAST HOUSING SCHEME

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 54, 1 September 1943, Page 4

VAST HOUSING SCHEME

Plans of National Party

O.C. CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Plans for a gigantic 4 housing' scheme, not only to catch up on the material requirements, but also as a major method of ensuring employment for all, were outlined last night by the Leader of the National Party (Mr. S. G. Holland). He advocated the freehold for all desiring it, and the finding of 90 per cent, of the necessary finance for ordinary citizens, and 100 per cent., if necessary, for soldiers. Every tenant of a State rental house would be given the option of acquiring the freehold of his house at a weekly rental, including in?" terest, principal, maintenance, and rates, not exceeding the present rental, but those preferring to remain as State tenants would be free to do so.

what it was before the introduction of Society Security, and subsequent increases would be taken off the land; and, second, at a later stage he hoped that all hospital rating would be removed from the land, both town and country.

The existing income tax exemptions for families were inadequate. The present exemption of £50 for a wife and each child would be extended to £75. and the exemption for children would continue beyond the age of eighteen years/ while they were learning and not earning. The injustice of the position by which a man earning £8, but receiving only £7 in his pay envelope, was taxed on the full amount of £8, would be removed as quickly as possible.

Many farmers, manufacturers, and others affected found that, because of their inability to secure labour and 'materials for maintenance purposes on their farms and in their factories in a normal way, their nominal profits on which they were taxed had increased, requiring them to pay taxation on a false basis. To correct this, injustice, the National Party would, permit taxpayers to establish maintenance reserves which would be available for doing maintenance work when labour and supplies became available; These maintenance reserves would be deductible from the taxpayer's assessable income. WAR DAMAGE INSURANCE. In view of the present state of the War Damage-Insurance Fund and of the vastly improved war situation, said Mr. Holland, War Damage Insurance would be discontinued, as he considered the present fund was ample for the purpose. Servicemen returning to New Zealand and setting up home found that the furniture they required was subject t0,20 per cent, sales tax. This would be rebated, said Mr. Holland, and with a view to effecting a substantial reduction in the cost of housebuilding in New Zealand the National Party would remove the sales tax on building materials for new homes. This would result in a saving of £100 per house.