A STATE TENANTRY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 77, 23 December 1937, Page 6

A STATE TENANTRY

■ ^ lT Falling-off in Private HomeBuilding , EFFECT IN HASTINGS Beference to the heavy falling-off which had occurred in recent months in private home-building was made by Mr. G. A. Maddison, who presided at the annual meeting of the Heretaunga Building Society. He pointed out that the permits issued iu Hastings were greatly below those of recent years. "While to some extent this may be attributed to the -increased eost of building," said Mr. Maddison, "much of it probably is due to the policy of the present Government, inasmueh as they are creating a State tenantry rather than pncouraging private home ownership."

Mr. Maddison drew attention to the remarks of Sir Enoch Hill, president of one of the largest building societies in England, who stated that of 3,000,000 homes built in Great Britain since the Great "War 2,000,000 were bought throuyh building societies. One of the greatest factors in the stability of England to-day was the great preponderance of priva#3ly-owned homes, said Mr. Maddison, and he was convinced that a better type of citizen resulted from the ownership of homes than could result from State tenantry. "The present Government 's policy in this matter is directly opposed to the experience of older countries within the Empire, " said Mr. Maddison, Avho voiced the hope that a halt would be qalled in State ownership in the very near future. "Should there be another economic depression in this country," he added, "the housing scheme at present being adopted would probably result in a heavy financial loss to the people."