FARM HOUSING

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20120, 14 December 1939, Page 8

FARM HOUSING

ADVANCES FOR BUILDING EFFECT ON LABOR SUPPLY WAIROA COUNCIL’S VIEWS (Special to the Herald.) WAIROA, this day. Whether or not the Wairoa County Council should take advantage of the provisions of the Rural Housing Act for the purpose of making advances to farmers for the erection of buildings was a question which provoked considerable discussion at the monthly meeting of the council yesterday, when it was decided that a sub-committee should be set up to go more fully into the proposition and make a recommendation. The discussion was the result of a memorandum from the State Advances Corporation setting forth the procedure to We followed in connection with advances to farmers for farm buildings under the Rural Housing Act, 1939, When the memorandum had been read 'Cr. H. Bayly expressed the opinion that the proposals were a step in the right direction and were well worth considering. He felt sure that unless some sort of housing scheme for farmers was introduced the labour problem would become greater and greater. It was essential that married men should be induced to go into the country, but at present the farmers could not employ them because they had no accommodation. Such a scheme as that proposed was, therefore, necessary. Opposition to Proposal Cr. J. O’Grady was not in favour of the council undertaking anything of this description. His view was that the council should not be made a lending institution and that the farmers should be able to go straight to the State Advances Corporation for the money. The county clerk, Mr. B. G. Signall, stated that the chief advantage of the scheme'seemed to be that the farmer could get a loan at 31 per cent. Cr. O'Grady: Do you think many farmers will avail themselves of it? Cr. Bayly: It is a cheap rate of intei'est. Cr. Bayly added that if the drift to the towns were to be stopped there must be more houses in the country. Every house built in the country under this scheme was one house less in the towns, and that was an advantage to •the country. The view of Cr. W. T. Bruce was that the scheme was a good one. Cr. S. A. Dickie stated that the building schemes that were at present going on in the towns were a great inducement for the country people to drift into the cities. In the opinion of the chairman, Cr. A. T. Carroll, the observations made by Cr. Bayly should be fully considered. Regarding farm labour, the question of accommodation would spell permanency in due course, and also would improve the efficiency of the working of the farms. Money-lending Institution “I think it is putting the council into a very funny position -by making it a money-lending institution,” said Cr. OlGrady. “It looks as if we will have to make the ratepayers responsible for any loss incurred; the Government is not going to take it. ’ It appeared to him that those farmers in a position to build should go to other lending institutions for the necessary money. The chairman: Well, why have they not done it? In reply to this, Cr. O'Grady said it was only those who did not have the security who would want to make application to the council for a loan under this scheme. The chairman said that if there were no security -a loan would not be granted. Cr. O'Grady: Then all the applications will be turned down. Those in a position to -build will not apply. Cr. Bayly: There might be some at 3J per cent. Cr. Dickie said there was no doubt accommodation was needed in the country to stop the drift to the towns.

The chairman said that, of course, the council would have to be satisfied that any loans granted would not become a burden on the county as a whole.

After further discussion it was decided that a sub-committee consisting of the chairman, Crs. O'Grady and Bayly, and the county clerk, be set up to go into the proposition and make a recommendation to the council.