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Home ownership is within the means of the average Aus
tralian working man, in the opinion of a number of trades
union officials interviewed today.
They said they did not agree with the opinion expressed
recently by Sydney Building Workers' Industrial president
E. W. Buhner that union leaders were opposed to home
ownership.
Local union leaders believe
that ownership of his home fos
tered a spirit of sturdy indepen
dence in a man, and gave him. a
freedom not experienced by the
man who was always a rent
payer.
'The man on rent has never got
anywhere yet,' said one union
president.
Said Printers' Union president
J. H. Lang: 'It is a very desirable
object for a man to own his home.
If he is able to buy his house, he
has a roof over his head when the
time comes that he is unable to
work, and it is an asset which Is
not considered as income when
claims for pension are assessed.
'Again, a house is a valuable
security for raising finance should
it be needed in an emergency.
'With the many finance schemes
operating, and the pegged rates
of interest, the normal . thrifty
wage-earner, can profitably invest
in a home, providing building ma
terials are available.'
Metropolitan Timber Workers'
Union secretary S. F. Schnaars, a
member of the State Executive of
the A.L.P., expressed the opinion
that the cost of home ownership
had not risen materially In recent
vears.
Said he: 'Al-
though building
costs have risen,
wages generally
are considerably
higher than be
fore the war,
which means
that even if the
worker today is
paving a higher
weekly amount
off his home,
this does not re
present a bigger proportion of his
wage than it did before the war.
'Secondly, the control of in
terest rates is a definite advantage
to prospective home purchasers.
For example, in 1939 a house
costing £800 would have attached
.to that figure, interest rates as
high as nine per cent or even
higher. Today the same home
might have an actual value of
£1150 to £1200, but the interest
rates are controlled at a maxi
mum of 45 per cent.
'This means that the worker
today can pay for a £1200 home
just as easily as he could pay
off an £800 house at the high
prewar interest rates.
'Savings Bank returns clearly
indicate that money in the hands
of the workers today is higher
than ever before, caused no doubt
by high wages, overtime pay
ments, and deferred pay to ex
servicemen, all of which tends to
place the average worker in a
much better position to pay the
higher initial deposit occasioned
by the rise in building costs.'
While agreeing with the prin
ciple of home ownership, Brick
layers' Union secretary G. Brown
was doubtful whether the 'average
bricklayer could find the neces
sary capital to buy or build a
home at present prices.
'My personal view is that every
man in the building trade should
have his own home if possible,'
he declared. 'They are always
building homes for other people
which is not good for .them unless
they have a chance to own one
themselves.
'But very few have had the op
portunity to put away a few
pounds a week. The exceptions
would be men in advanced posi-'
tions such as foremen, those with
very small families, or exservice
men.
'Bricks and mortar make the
best investment there is. The value
of homes drops very little. A good
home, well built and well maintain- j
ed never loses value.'
Secretary E. W. Walsh of the
Building Trades Executive, the
Plasterers' Union and others said
that the man with his own home
had the independent spirit which
every man should have.
'He is not harassed by any
landlord, and when he sees the
cash piling up which otherwise
would go to his landlord, he
starts to improve his dwelling:
? and surroundings,' he said.
To give every man a chance to
get a home, it would be necessary
to scrap all brick area proposals
and allow a man to build anything
in the way of a modest home.
'This would help to get people
out of the congested city areas.
With improved transportation,
Northam is to be considered only
as a suburb of Perth. It could be
brought within one and a half
hours of the city.'
® Sydney Building Workers'
Union president E. W. Bulmer said
on June 23 that union t leaders
were opposed to workers owning
homes. Faced with the necessity
of keeping up payments on their
homes, they were prepared to sac
rifice the struggle for better con
ditions, he stated.
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