FINE HOUSES AND BIG RENTS.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 118, 4 June 1937, Page 4

FINE HOUSES AND BIG RENTS.

The Under.Secretary for Housing Constnxction, for all the cheerful froxxt he shows, is. obviously not finding his position altogether a bed of Toses, The Miixister of Finance, in his Budget last August, had east his figures on the hasis of conxfortable and eommodious homes for the workers being built at an average cost of £600^ and so lettable at fentals coming fairly well within the paying capacity of prospective tenants. Mr. Lee now finds himself set to do the best he can with dwellings the cheapest of whieh have or are to cost £850 and th'e better class lanything up to £1350, or even niore. How Mr. Nash, with his , knowledge of the higher wages to be paid to and the shortened hours to be worked by those engaged in the building of the houses, came to nxake so bad a guess — evidently it was uothing much better — at their cost must be left for him to explaiu. All that is apparent at tho momexxt is that Mr. Lee has had to fix his rents on ia very mnch highor scale than both the workers and the people at large had been led to oxpect. What the ultimato broad result is to be can scarcely yet be predicted. Mr. Lee tells us he is being flooded with applications for the houses that are already or are shortly to be available for occupation. Having 7regard to all we have heard about their advantages, this is quite understandable. But it is equally obvious that only those on the higher rates of wages can afford the rents demjanded, and it was scarcely for this class alone that the housing scheme was devised. It is greatly significant also that tho Under.Secretary purposes making those earning even a yet higher rate of wage or saliary eligible to become tenants of the more expensive homes. There is furthermore some little anxiety as to the collection of Tents to be detected in his proposftl to make them a first charge on wages — in fact to take power to deduct them from wages. How will this strike the trades-folk who may have to provide the tenants? perhaps miany of them on credit, with furnishings suitable to these houses and with essential household supplies! Mr. Lee it will be noted, too. is charging a "bit extra''' as a safeguard against careless and wasteful tenants. Altogether if does not took as if, foy the lower p,aid wage-earners at any rate, the State is going to be very much differcnt as a landlord from the mueh reviled Capitalist.