WOODVILLE & DISTRICT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 133, 6 May 1940, Page 8

WOODVILLE & DISTRICT

RURAL HOUSING SCHEME. LETTERS TO COUNTY COUNCIL. i Two letters relating to the rural housing scheme were read at Friday's meeting of the AVoodville County Council by the chairman (Mr M. 0. Grainger) who stated that lie had drafted a reply to each one for the councillors’ approval. The first communication, from the State Advances Corporation, stated:— “We have been advised by the Minister for State Advances that a prospective farmer borrower recently made inquiries in connection with the housing scheme, under the provisions of the Rural Housing Act, 1939, to your council. We are informed that he was advised by your body that nothing could, be done under this scheme, as the measure was not on the Statute Book; Of course, you are aware that this is not the position and we assume that he has misunderstood the position during the course of the discussion. However, it occurs to us that possibly there may be some points in the administration of the scheme which may not be clear to your councillors, and as a result there may be a disinclination to co-opcrate in the proposals to assist the farming community to erect suitable houses. If this is so, we should be pleased to hear from you at an early date.” The council’s reply to the above letter stated: “I am directed to advise you that the anonymous ‘prospective farmer borrower’ was apparently under a misapprehension, as no person was advised that nothing could be done under the scheme or that the measure was not on tho Statute Book. As a matter of fact, my council deferred ■consideration of the matter at its April meeting in order to allow councillors to make themselves more conversant with the details of the scheme.’’ A further letter on the subject was received from the secretary of the Woodville branch of the Farmers’ Union (Mr W. T. Dean) stating that he had been instructed to protest against the council's decision to have nothing to do with the rural housing' scheme. As, in the opinion of the union, the scheme could not in any way be of harm to the county and must be of great benefit to the farmers,, it was hoped the council would give this matter the full consideration it deserved and would come to a more favourable decision. The reply drafted to tin's letter reads: “I am directed to advise you that there has been no resolution by my council to have nothing to do with the rural housing scheme. As tlm scheme casts a responsibility on the ratepayers to make good any loss resulting from default in payment of loans, my council considers it would be failing in its trust if it did not give mature consideration to all the possibilities.” Prior to the letters being read, the council sat in committee. Apart from cursory expressions of approval bv several councillors of tho replies drafted, there was no discussion on the letters.