HOUSING PROBLEM

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 58, 25 July 1947, Page 5

HOUSING PROBLEM

PART-HOUSES ADVOCATED MR SULLIVAN’S SUGGESTION The building of part-houses, until the present housing demand was over, was advocated by Mr W. Sullivan (National, Bay of Plenty), speaking in the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Representatives. The part-plan scheme would enable other rooms to be added later, he said, and the Minister of Labour should appeal to the industries associated with building to work a 44-hour week and by all means give the rpen the extra rate for the additional four hours. “Let us have production,” he added.

Mr Sullivan also advocated an easing in regard to the importation of essential commodities for housing, and said that the Government should arrest its policy of inflation as the cost of houses was reaching such a point that the average man would not be able to own a house. The most annoying feature of the increase in costs was the complacency of the Government. How was a serviceman, with a loan of £ISOO, going to build a house of 1100 square feet, the size allowed at present ? The cost was about £2200, and where was the difference of £7OO to come from? “Today we have an additional amount of £150,000,000 in circulation and the cost structure must rise,” he said. “This will continue until the Government reaches tlie limit, and it will come down with a crash. I doubt whether some of the Ministers have any real interest in the matter. The pfeople are most concerned regarding the present situation, and it does not seem that the Government cares one iota where the cost structure finishes.”