THE HOUSING BILL.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 October 1919, Page 5

THE HOUSING BILL.

AMENDMENTS INTBODUCED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. - In the House amendments tv •. the Bousing Bill were introduced by Ck>T> ernor's message., ' Mr Massey explained that the first; amendment provided for an increase iaj the income of those eligible to patilci-S pate in the benefits of the Bill, from £225 to £275 for a man with a imW - family, and to £355 for a man with v t large family. The life of a woodeaj building' had been extended to 30 yean, and the life of any other more subvj stantinl class of house to 36% nanki } iTiie rate of interest had been mathVuni-i ' form, and was fixed at 5 per cent, withj a rebate of half per cent for prompt? payment. It was proposed to give local' bodies the right to raise loans for housing purposes without reference to the ratepayers. As to how far Harbor. ' Boards would come under this &nMnd>i ment would be a matter for the COOK* ' mittee. there was a new section to. .-. the Bill, it being now proposed to raisej .?! the nmount of the loans under Workers' Dwellings Act from £450 tb;i I £750. , " •,,; DETAILS OP AMENDMENTS. H By Wire—Own Correspondent. Wellington, Last Night. Several amendments 10 the Housing. Bill were introduced ru the House tonight. They were read a first and second time and referred to the committee on the Bill. The Prime Minister, explaining the. amendments, said it had been suggest- .y ed in the course of the debate that the limit of income in the case of advance*' to workers for housing purposes waa\ too low. He agreed with that, and he v . proposed to ask the House to increase the limit from £225 to £275 for the parent with not more than two ehiU dren. The limit in the case of a man with a larger family would rise to £350. ' Another amendment proposed that the life of a wooden building should be reckoned at 30 years instead of 26V years, and the life of a building of , permanent material a: 30% years, and the payments would be adjusted oval* the periods, thuß reducing the rente. It was proposed that the rate of should be uniform for all the ' covered by the Bill. The rate would .. be nominally 5 per cent, but really 4s: per cent, since there would be a halt per cent rebate for prompt payment. Another amendment gave counties the opportunity of raising money for workers without a poll. He was inclined to allow Harbor Boards with rating anas . to come in also.' A sixth part was being added to the five parts already contained in the Bill, • This new part referred principally to', . the limit under the Advances to Workers Act. The limit had stood for manjfc ■' years at £'4so, and he proposed to increase it to £750. The other amend- * ments proposed were consequential on the amendments he had mentioned.