Interview with Jack Ashton

Jack Ashton was born in Dunedin in 1909. Talks about his family's move to Tautuku when he was three and his father's employment scutching at a flax mill. Notes that the family lived in a tent for eighteen months. Describes his childhood near Balclutha and in Milton. Talks about passing the Public Service Entrance exam in 1925 and becoming a cadet with the State Advances Corporation. Discusses some of the Corporation staff.

Notes that between 1925 and 1939 he boarded in 26 places. Talks about doing accountancy at night school. Explains his office work. Discusses the effect of the Depression on public service salaries and comments on the abandonment of Corporation properties during the Depression. Describes the establishment of the Mortgage Corporation in 1935 with T.N. Smallwood and A.D.Park as directors. Talks about moves to Napier, Invercargill and Hamilton with the Corporation as Accountant.

Discusses the Rehabilitation Loans Committee, the Housing Allocation Committee, the Mortgagors' and Lessees' Rehabilitation Act 1936, the group housing scheme, capitalisation of family benefit and the sale of state houses to tenants. Describes being Branch Mananger in Invercargill and Nelson. Comments on Ministers of Housing J.R. Hanan, William Fox and John Rae. Describes a difficult position as Inspector at Head Office of the Corporation. Talks about becoming Managing Director in 1969 and the satisfaction of going from cadet to this position.

Comments on the Corporation's relationship with the State Services Commission and Sir Robert Muldoon's opinion of the State Advances Corporation. Notes the difficulties of combining urban and rural lending.

Venue - Lower Hutt : 1988

Interviewer(s) - Susan Fowke

Venue - Jack Ashton's home at Lower Hutt

Quantity: 3 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 3 Hours Duration.

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete AB 407.

Alternative form available:

Listening copies are availalbe at OHLC-003037, 003038, and 003039.