THE HOUSING PROBLEM.

Taihape Daily Times, 2 October 1919, Page 4

THE HOUSING PROBLEM.

Taihape is one of two places want-| ing Workers’ dwellings ‘in which tend—§ ers -have not yet been invited for their erection. Why, We are not able to; state, but, 'presumably,pit is because‘ satisfactory arrangemen-ts have not been made with respect to land. A st-atement made by Mr Massey in answer to a question in the House indicates that the Railway Department has under consideration some scheme for erecting houses for its employees. Such a proposal carried into effect to its fullest warrant-able extreme in T-ai-hape would relieve the ‘house tension in this town considerably. Mr Massey also informed Parliament that a Bill dealing with the Housing question was in the hands of the ntw draftsmen and it was expected to be ready for members’ consideration during this -rcurrentweek. It ‘seems, from what the. _Pl‘ime§-Minister said, that it is ;his in; 'tention. to thr-owpupqn ratepayersgin; ’boroug’hVs the .resp9nsibi_lity> of providing population with housing . accommo-. dation.’ It will ._ be, seen -how unjust such an arrangement would be; so unjus-t in fact that it could scarcely be made mandatory owing to the demand for houses in some centres inivolving a loan-raising that would mean ‘ruin to many ratepayers by their utter linability ‘to carry -the ‘burden. The lsccurity for loans for housing such a ishifting population I should be the ;whole national estate in the widest ‘sense of the tcrnl;,‘to throw the relsponsibility 011 the ratepayers of some {boroughs would cripple the C_)pel'atioll3 ‘of many ratepayers by unduly adding Ito burdens town iniprovement have, land will continue ‘to involve them in.‘ [No objection can well be raised‘ !against municipalities and Counties borrowing for housing their own._em-V_ Eployees, but anything further is the 'concern of the State, or should be. For carrying out the erection of houses ’recently called tenders for money is provided by the Workers’ Loan Department, and we -are convinced that under the control of Mr Rowloy, who has shown marked capacity and peculiar business ability in this connection, the housing" problem can be most economically solved. Taihape people are anxiously awaiting the appearance of _Worl«:ers’ Home builders in their lniidst. '