Housing Trust

By Their Friends...

"Christian nationalism is an ally of National Socialism....... You can call this anti-democratic principle dictatorship if you wish. In Italy it is called Fascism, in Germany German National Socialism and in South Africa, Christian Nationalism.'' Who said it? The Mad Major while drunk? Well, no. This is a quote from Balthazar Johannes Vorster, ruler of South Africa today , and who was imprisoned as a Nazicollaborator. And this is the man to whom Sir Alec Douglas Home, the human skull, _ts intent on selling arms. Why ? Well, it's good for trade. Is it? Our balance of trade with the racist South Africa has gone down considerably, we now import more from them than export to them, this arms deal wouldn't affect the balance because we'd have to take more S.A. exports in return. Could it be that some of Sir Alec's fellow cabinet ministers have S. African interests? Could be!

Firstly there's Ulster's old friend Reggie Maudling. A few weeks ago we published an article about some of his shadier business interests. Here are afew more. Our lovable home secretary is a director of A.E.1I./G.E.C. and Dunlop which have seven South African and three Rhodesian subsidiaries. Quintin Hogg is a‘director of Wellman Engineering Corporation who have a large S. African branch; Anthony Barber, chancellor of the .exchequer, is director of British Ropes Ltd. , parent company of African Wire Ropes of S.Africa. Duncan Mr. and Mrs. Robert Finlay live in the South Link chalets with their two children - one a baby of nine months, the other a boy three years old.

They had been living in undescribable conditions in No.3 Moyssina Street: falling ceilings, the damp mildewing furniture, water had to be boiled before it could be used etc. The conditions had to be seen to be believed, and when the local C.D.C. saw the house they decided to move the Finlays out, and squatted them in Glasmullen Gardens.

It was then that the Housing Trust was moved to act - but not to offer them the keys to Glasmullen Gardens, or a house or flat elsewhere; digging deep into their miserable reserve of humanity the Housing Trust came up with the keys to one of the South Link chalets.

The Finlays accepted the offer rather than continue to live in fear of possible eviction as squatters -and paid rent of £2 10s. a week -despite the fact that other families who had just moved in were paying 12/6d. in rent - and despite the fact that the only heating provided -an electric heater - was aggravating the three year old's chest condition.

During troubles when the Andersonstown Housing Trust Offices were burned down the family were exposed to C.S. Gas. NEGLECT Both children were taken to hospital - the baby to the Children's hospital and then onto Purdysburn where she spent three weeks in an oxygen tent. Doctors at both hospitals have written to the Housing Trust requesting urgent rehousing of the Finlays who have been on the housing lists of both the corporation and Housing Bodies for 33 years. Both bodies have done nothing whatsoever to alleviate their misery.

On the contrary the Housing Trust seems to be preparing to evict the family. In June Mrs. Finlay joined the rent-strikers in South Link. On Tuesday of this week-a man from the Trust called Fry visited the family, took the rent book and as at present ''considering”’ their case.

We dare him to evict them!

And incidentally Mr. Fry and Miss Reid et. al. when will you get round to even "considering" the fate of the rest of the families living in the chalets and shelter huts.

When, for example, will you show some mercy to one of the Finlays neighbours who was burnt out last August and whose four month old baby died of pneumonia in the cold and damp wooden huts of South Link?

Or to the family with the baby whose hand was chewed by a rat the size of a cat?

When, Miss Reid, When?