THE HOUSING PROBLEM.

Taihape Daily Times, 3 October 1919, Page 5

THE HOUSING PROBLEM.

AND 'WORKERS"‘DW’E'L)LIN'G}S.

'LI_MIT~S OF'ADvA_NCEs AND EARN- ~‘: 'INGs TO BE RAISED. ‘ ‘

“In order to assist, in: ‘solving the housing problem, will the"_ Government,” asked the Hon ‘G. WL Russell on Wednesday, in the House of Representatives, “give consirlera-tion to the re'.eommend‘aition’ [sent down by gthiei Board of Health, that the_Government sh‘o'uld enlarge ‘the amount which may be advanced by the Advances to Workers Department, which now stand_s,,at £450, a sum far below the cost of building even a four-roomed house at the present time; and will “the Government also inCI'."‘J.SC the proportion of the total t'.=l)lCll, may be lent, which I think, is new three-fourths‘?” With ‘these two barriers in the Way. said Mr Russ-ell, the Advances to Workers Department is unable to ln::=d. to many people who would otherwise be glad to avail them-~s:»lv-es of its sci-vices. A Mr Massey said he was glad to inform the hon. questioner that the -limit had ‘already been raised, and 'he~pro—'—posed to raise it still further. He had given instructions sometimeiago that itfshould be raised to £600; (Hear, hear.) . -.

Mi‘ Russell. I thought must be dounelby statute; d ' "V L ’ Mr Massey: Whether by statute or not, it has already been raised to £6oo_ In any case, ‘Ne- propose to ask Pal-liament to increase it to £750. (Heal',vhee'lr.) "Mr A. Walker (Dunedin North) asked whether, in the event of E 1 worker having already borrowed from fife Departmenf between £4OO and £SOO, he would have the opportunity of borrowing a further amrount if the £750 limit was adopted, ' -Mr Massey: The majtter will be fully considered when the ‘.H=ou-sing Bill is before Parliament. He was told, he add~ ed, that if. was a Very difficult Bill to draft, and considerable delay had taken place. He expected to have it completed and put before Cabinet before Safurday, when ‘the whole matter would be considered’. I ‘

Mr R. W. Smith (VVaimarino) asked whether the limit of earnih-gs entitling‘ 0. man to an advance would be incréased from the present £2OO. The Prime Minister said he Was glad to be able to inform him that that W 35 also being attended toii «His own Personal opinion was étlzzxt the- amount should be puf: up to £3OO. (Hear, h_ear.)

Mr Russell askedwhetsher the Government would give conéideration. to another aspect of the problem. At present the Government was ‘building a large number of workers’ dwellings, and taking entire resp'o~nsibility for the sfim needed fio build, less £l, subject to an increase to £lO. He’ wanted to ask whether, in the e’vent of Workers or builders erecting dwellings complying exa‘<3tly with the GroVerlln:err.t’s I'equirolnents_. woulfl the Govel'nment he prepared to take such houses ow:-=3, and deal -with them as» if they had ;been el'eet.od by the Dcpal"tnle.nt.? -Mr Massey: Yes; we have donsgfso in".-v. mzmbnr of cases already. (Hear. hear.) ’ _«V