A GRAVE PROBLEM

Hokitika Guardian, 6 April 1932, Page 6

A GRAVE PROBLEM

(EVICTION OF TENANTS

“HUNDREDS I'URNED OUT.”

CHRISTCHURCH, April 5

. Confirmation of a statement he was , reported to have made in Wellington. that there were hundreds ol evictions in, Christchurch was given by the Mayor (Mu - 1L .G. Sullivan, M.l\) at the meeting of the City Council last evening. Councillor <M. E. Lyons drew his attention to the statement and j asked him whether he had been niisre ported. The suggestion that hundreds of families were being turned out of their Ihomes placed the 'landlords Oi Christchurch in a bad light. i “,1 Was not misreported. 1 did make the...statement and it is true,’ said the Mayor. r i “Jt is indeed a grave problem for these people.” the Mayor continued. "I have seriously considered the question oi' calling a public meeting to consider how it can be dealt with. 1 The Mayor went on fo say that a proportion of the people ordered to get out of their homes consisted of large familie s and they were in a sorry plight. He was not going to condemn all landlords. Some of them had no other source of income, but there were some cases where landlords could bo more generous. The Government, the' ijlospital Board and the relief funds were not in a -position to find the money 'to pay the rents and people were being driven from pillar to post;:. He would be glad if Councillor Lyons could suggest” some solution. I Councillor Lyons said he had thought the 'statement, = in view of the small number of eviction orders, was sweep

i , The. Mayor said the landlord ha:i wide, powers apart from the Court, There was no doubt that people were being ordered out of their houses by the hundred.