BUILDING HOMES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 21, 25 February 1942, Page 2

BUILDING HOMES

SHOULD BE CONTINUED

VIEWS OF HARDWARE GUI LI)

The need to continue Lhe building of homes in New Zealand was stressed at the annual conference of the New Zealand Hardware Merchants' Guild, which has just been held in Wellington. The view was expressed that the false impression had arisen thaf building restrictions did not -permit of the erecting of dwellings and residences. This was not the ease it was stated. Anyone desiring to erect a dwelling to-day could do so providing the contract price was no.t more than £1500, and (t did not employ more than .">cwt of steel in its erection. There were three main factors calling for a continuance of building. the president (Mr F. IT. Griffith) stated. "Firstly." said Mr Griffith, "the building materials used in construction cannot be termed of such lastfng qualities as those ado.pted in other countries. Houses of woodframing and weatherboarding do in the course: of time deteriorate through weather and other conditions, and the life of an average home can be set down as possibly <>0 years, although it is known that man 3' will outlast this period. Therefore it is reasonable to say that houses built in the late seventies have reached a stage of deterioration and require replacement. On the assumption that jOOP houses were built at that time they will' require to be replaced almost immediately. "The second factor is that a very large proportion of our forces overseas consist of single men, who will on their return tei their native land desire to marry and set up homes, f.nst as soon as housing accommodation can be found for them. "The third factor is that many in the Homeland whose homes have suffered through enemy action will doubtless prefer to emigrate to the Dominion and it is this unknown quantity that .should be invited and dwellings made available 1 for them. "Untenanted spaces in our Dominion is an open invitation to an enemy with envious eyes," Mr Grif' fith said, in conclusion.