FIVE IN A ROOM

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20016, 15 August 1939, Page 8

FIVE IN A ROOM

AUSTRALIAN ARRIVALS FAMILIES UNDER CANVAS WELLINGTON EXPERIENCE Five Australian families who landed at Wellington recently received an inhospitable welcome. They came over to establish a new industry, but were unable -to obtain dwellings within reasonable distance of their work. The men were eventually obliged to pay £lO 10s a week to share a room at an hotel, while their wives and children camped under canvas at Paraparaumu Beach. In order to find them houses the manager, on whom the responsibility devolved, was' obliged, he said, to purchase houses for them.

The .party came over some two months ago—the manager and keymen of the new industry, with their wives and families, making 19 souls in all. Children Unwanted at Hotels Three months before they came they lodged applications for State houses, and received 1 a sympathetic letter from the Government. Later they received a further communication asking -them to report to the State Housing Department on arrival. Thinking that all would be well, they packed their furniture and possessions, and embarked for New Zealand.

On arrival, however, they found that not only were there no arrangements made for them, but also that the department was not prepared 'to do anything for them immediately. Because of their children, they were unable to obtain quarters at .any city hotels. Complete strangers, they did not know .where to go. Finally, after midnight, they started off in taxis for Paraparaumu, where their wives and children were established in cancas tents, with wooden floors. They camped in these tents for more than a month.

Obliged to Buy Houses

Meantime their husbands, who had to start on the work they had come To do, were obliged to pay IQgns. a week to share one room. “We did not mind the department being unable to help us; we did not expect necessarily to be given precedence over New Zealanders in search of homes,” said the manager. “We were told that 8000 .applications had been received for only 300 houses, so we understood the position. But we did object to being fleeced.” He said that it had cost him £2B to put up one of his men, with a wife and three children, at an hotel for a fortnight. As fast as he was able to find suitable houses, he had been Obliged 'to buy them outright in order to provide houses for his men.