GOVERNMENT HOUSES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 79, 20 April 1937, Page 6

GOVERNMENT HOUSES

Tenants Will Not Be Treated as Well as by Private Owners BUSINESSMEN'S VIEWS "I'll guarantee that. the Government will never put up. houses. and , then treat their tenants as well as tenants have been treated by private owners," said Mr H. W. C. Baird, president of the Hastings Chamber of Commerce, last evening when the question of the Government Housing Scheme, with particular mention of the recently an-. nounced purchase of two blocks of land for that purpose in Hastings, was briefly discussed. ; : Mr Baird said that he was .aware of instance^ where, the owners of certain houses had not received anything for a jear. and then had been prepared to receive only 10/- a week - rent. He doubted whether the Government would be able to erect . houses at a coyfc that would mean having to pay only 17/6 or £1 a week rent, as was temg paid by many tenants in Hastings at- the present time. Mr Hedley Harvey: The taxpayer will have to pay for it. k "The present is too expensive a time to go in for it,'» opined Mr F. R. Smith Air Baird said that in a drive round a portion of the town during the weekend, he had been impressed by the numbor oi new houses that had been erected, but he had also noted that-the-e were two houses to let. "It is a long time sirice it has been neces'sary in Hastings to erect "to let" signs on houses," he said. "It has been stated that there has been a rise of 60 per cent. in timber," said Mr Harvey. "That is not oorrect," said Mr Smith. "There has been a big; rise, however, in all metals because of the rush l'or arniaments." The discussion then lapsed, no acfcinn being taken iu the matter.