THE HOUSING LAW.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 November 1920, Page 5

THE HOUSING LAW.

SIXLNti A FAIR RENTAL. LOANS TO HARBOR BOARDS. TARANAKI MEMBER'S SUCCESS. (By Wire.—Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, Night.

A number of amendments to thi .Housing Bill were introduced in thl House this afternoon by Viee-Regai message. The Minister in charge (SI William Herrics) explained that thej consisted largely of alterations askei for by different members. Clause S gave power to the Housinj Department to spend money in provid,. ing lighting, drainage, and water where it was building a number of house*. This was extended also to include heating. It also gave the department the same power in respect to houses that it bought already built,

An extension was made to the clau#e enabling the Government to lend money to public utility societies for touting purposes. The Bill as passed provided that the Government could advance money up to seventy-five per cent, of the value of land owned by the society, or any member who had received a section under the scheme. This wa» now to be altered to make the limit for advances the improved value of the land in each case, so that the Government could advance up to seventy-five pet cent of the value, including improvements.

The clause permitting a sub-tenant o$ 11 sub-lessee renting a room, or a por* tion of a house, to apply to a magiß« trate todetermine a fair rent, was being amplified by giving authority to th» Inspector of Factories to make an application in that direction on behalf of th? sub-tenant or sub-lessee, the result being that the department could intervene to have a fair rent fixed in such a cuss

Some new clauses were inserted, th# object of the first being, to give the department the right to sue for the recovery of unpaid instalments of money advanced under the Act. A further (lame -had been' inserted to meet the request made while the Rill was before the House on behalf of Harbor Boards. It provided that for the purpose of acquiring land and erestipg houses any r| arbor Board might, with the consent of the Minister for Marine, and without taking a poll of the ratepayers, borrow money on debentures or on first or any other mortgage on the land on which the buildings were to be erected. It also enabled the State Advances Office to advance money on this security, without requiring the security of a! special rate.

The Minister added that he did not know that the Hoards would be able to borrow much money on this security, but the power was being given to them ns asked.

Several members, he added, had asked in committee that the limit of £IO,OOO on the borrowing powers of municipalities should be increased. It was found that this was not necessary, as there was no such limit placed by the Act. It was simply a limit placed by tile lending departments of the State. It was only necessary to get over the Minister for Finance to get over the £IO,OOO limit.

A member: "But he is harder to get over than you are."

Sir William ITcrries: "Well, no amendment of the Act is needed." He added that the amendments were all right. They had all been asked for, and he thought that the Harbor Boards would be satisfied with what was being done for them.

The amendments were agreed to and forwarded to the Legislative Council, where they were dealt with immediately. and were agreed to

The Minister for Lnhor stilted that the amendment authorising Harbor Boards to borrow money for the purchase of land and the erection of homes had been framed at the request of Mr. S. C>. Smith (Tnrannki), The boards might find" it difficult to borrow much money, owing to tlio nature of the Berarity, but he believed they would get some advantage.