HASTINGS STATE HOUSING

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 38, 1 March 1937, Page 7

HASTINGS STATE HOUSING

Mr J. A. Lee Pays Town a Visit NO SLUMS IN BOROUGH A surprise visit to Hastings was paid on Saturday afternoon by the member in charge of the State Housing Scheme, Mr J. A. Lee, M.P. As no official intimation of his intention to include Hastings m his itinerary had been received, lt was impossibls to arrange a civie welcome, Mr Lee, in 'company with Mr E. L. Culllen, M.P., eariy in the afternoon arranged a xneeting with the Mayor, Mr G. A. Maddison 'and discussed various matters relating to the housing scheme as affecting Hastings. The question of making a survey of the borough in accordance with the Housing Survey Act was raised, and Mr Maddison put forward the claim that Hastings did not require such a comprehenteive survey as required by the Act, on the grounds that there were no slum areas in the borough. This view was endorsed by an engineer accompanying Mr Lee, who expressed the opinion that Hastings was more modernly laid out than any other town in New Zealand, and there certainly were no slum areas. He had made an inspection of Noel's Folly, and Baid that except that the streets in this part of the borough were a little narrow, there was no suggestion of slum area. Mr Maddison raised the question of the Fire Board 's not being eligible to undertake a housing scheme becauBe it is not considered to be a local body within the meaning of the Act. He pointed out that the Hastings Fire Board had made application for a Government loan preparatory to embarking on a housing scheme for membe/s of the brigade, which was a volunteer brigade. The board, however, had been advised that its application could not be granted beeause it was not a local body. Mr Lee intimted that it was the intention of the Government to introduce an amendment to the Act at the first apportunity to give the necessary authority for fire boards to undertake housing schemes. During the informal talk with. the Mayor, the visitors made it clear that they were very interested in the type of flats now being constructed in Hastings, and the opportunity was taken later in the afternoon to make a thorougk inspection of several of thes^ buildings, some of which were completed and others were now iu the course of erection. In company with Mr Cullen the visiting Government representative and his officials made an inspection of the areas of land offered to the Government as being suitable for TeBidential sites under the State Housing Scheme. Altogether 11 pieces of land were inspected, but no announcement of any decision was made other than that the final seleetion would be made by the State Purchasing Officer.