More Flats Wanted

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 211, 22 September 1937, Page 7

More Flats Wanted

EYES OPENET).

gjy — For many weelts baek I have been trying hard, to get a self-contained flat or self-contained rooms. I think it cannot be genefally known how very serioiis the house shortage is thtoughont New Zealand. I needed two fopms and other conveniefices. I have spent over £1 in adveftising within the last two or three months trying to get whai I need. The fow replies I reeeived were most Unsatisfactory. I have heard xnany complaints by •^ome'n with a small independency for many years baek, but not until circumstances forecd me to the same needs did I realise theix difficulties. There are many institutions for women, and none of them seem to have thought it worth while to go into this matter. On two occasions'I have taken rooms and found tho lapdlady whefl. interviewed most pleasant spoken; sUbseqtiently I found her additted to drink with the ustial result, a most violent tempef next dify. In both cases they owhed to their violent tempfir. Of eourse I tried td get out of these rooms as soon as poosible and found it impossible to get rooms soon enough. I was with a violent-tempered ■vVoman recently; she owned she wenx mad with temper for no reason at all. That person Whs so mean with her electric light, the saving Of it seemed a mania with her. We Wfent about with an electric torch, althoiigh we paid hef a good rent. She expected me to go out every night. Sir, I make it my business when in other people 's homes to mind my own business and see and hear nothing that I am not wanted to see or hear and When the landlady is in a bad temper I xemain silent and keep out of the way. What a pity they don't keep out of thh Way too. I Was trjdng and advertiSing a mohth befoie I could get rooms to enable me to get away froin. that house and there were times when my ihvalid and I Were xeaiiy afraid of IiaviUg to stay while lookihg for other rooms. I know of others who have had similar experiences. One old lady told me she had been living in rooms twenty years aiid only on one occasion had she been really happy and that was wheh she had been fortunate in getting a self-contained flat at a moderate rent. Tliose people Who want the moiiey for their xodms shoiiid fernember that the people who take the tooms have a right to peace and home quiet while they have the rooms. May we have more fUrnished flats for women at a reasonable rent. The reiits asked for some flats at the prosent' time are outrageous. — Yours, etc.,

Hastings, Sepfr. 20, 1937.