HOUSES.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 October 1920, Page 5

HOUSES.

DEBATE ON NEW BILL WMIT TO BE SPENT fiAISED, . By Telestapli.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. In the House of Representatives tonight, the Hon. Sir William Hemes moved the second reading of the Housing Amendment Bill. He said that both landlords and tenants were interested in the Bill, and the Government had to keep the balance between the two extremes. The department had had the benefit of the experience of one year's working of the previous Act, and the amendments were the outcome of that experience. He was quite prepared to listen to objections to the provisions in the Bill, or to suggestions for its further improvement. Sir William Hemes then explained the Bill. The provisions of clause 2, permitting the Government to obtain leasehold lands, was to enable the Bill to be applied to such a place as Taumarumii, which was a leasehold township. The maximum limit to be spfcnt in the erection of houses had been raised, because of the additional cost to-day of labor and material. The utility societies clause had been asked for by townplanning societies, and had been inserted to enable them t$ turn their ideas to .account so long as they complied with the law. "We don't want to shut out anyone who desires to help in building _ houses for the people." said the Minister. "We want to keep an open door." The 3 per cent, rent restrictions were not to apply to anvone building houses in future; they really did not apply after the passing of the 191» Act The reasoa was that the Government did not desire to place any discouragement in the way of people building houses. Mr. H. E. Holland (Buller) said the main objection to the Bill was that it reflected the idea, of the dominant mind of Cabinet that nothing would be done collectively without paying a heavy tribute to the money-lender. Another serious blot was that there was no provision to prevent owners holding houses empty for the purposes of speculation; such conduct should have been made criminal. Though only patchwork, and wanting in essentials, the Bill was nevertheless better than nothing. Mr. A. Harris (Wdternata) declared there were such grave charges against the administration of the Housing Department that some investigation mur-t be held. The building scheme in Wellington was held up because there were serious differences between the builder and the department, and the scandal should not be permitted to continue. 3t was no use passing Housing Bilk if the administration was to remain unsatisfactory.

Dr. 11. T. Tiiaekor (Christchurch East) complained that women who had to work in houses had never been consulted as to convenience and arrangement _ of He also complained that insufficient money was provided for the housing schemes of local bodies: £IO,OOO ;a year was no use.

Mr. O. Hawken (Egmont) argued that the success of the scheme would depend not so much on the amount of money put into the scheme, but on the rapid turnover of that money. Participants should therefore be encouraged to pay back as quickly as possible, and this should be done by increasing the rate of interest,

Mr. S. G. Smith (Taranaki) said there was a shortage of 15.,721 houses throughout the Dominion. Thirteen wore completed during the last six months. It was therefore quite clear thew was no hope of catching up to the problem unless more energy was shov/u by the Housing Department. People wanted houses more than legislation At 1.40 a.m. Sir William" flerries replied to the debate, and Cat Bill went into committee.

The House was si ill sitting when the telegraph office closed at % a.nt,

THE HOUSING BILL. RENTS AND TENANCIES. NEW PROVISIONS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, Oct. 20. The Housing Amendment Bill, which was introduced in the House of Representatives,last night, contains a number of machinery amendments in the Housing Act, 1919, intended to facilitate the operations of the Housing Board. It contains also .some important new clauses dealing with rents and tenancies. The Government is taking power to lease land required for workers' dwellings, the minimum period of the lease to be sixty years.

The Housing Board is) authorised to dispose of land by lease or suu-lca-se, With protection for the tenants' improvements.

The maximum cost, of dwellings erected under the Housing Act is increased to £OOO in the case of a wooden house and £IOOO in the case of a house built »f concrete or other permanent material.

Public utility companies may be asBistort by tlie Housing Board to carry out schemes "for the provision of houses. A public utility company is defined as a registered or incorporated company having for its object the establishment ot village settlements or garden suburbs, and generally the provision of homes for workers. The maximum amount of the advance that may be made to any such company is not to exceed To per cent, of the value of the land to which the application relates. The rent restriction provisions of the existing law are not to apply to dwellings first let after the passing of this Dili,

_ An important amendment is proposed j m tho law relating to restriction of | rents. The present law provides that, the/ rent 0 f a house shall not exceed 8 per cent, of the capital value as in August, 1314. The Bill provides that a I magistrate, on application by an owner, may increase the rent so as to allow the owner a net return of 7 per cent on the capital value of the house at the date of the application. The magistrate, m assessing this net return, is to take into consideration the landlord s payments for rates, insurances, and repairs, and also the amounts, if «ny, to he allowed for depreciation and default of payment of rent by the tenant. Another provision is that any rent paid hy the tenant in excess 'of the standard rent may be recovered from the landlord by the tenant. It mar be deducted by the tenant from any'rent payable by him to the landlord within a period of six months. The demand or acceptance of a bonus m connection with the letting of a house is xnadg an offenc« jpunishable hy