CITY AND PRIME MINISTER.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18415, 23 June 1925, Page 8

CITY AND PRIME MINISTER.

AN IMPORTANT MISSION.

REPORT BY THE MAYOR

Important mr.ttcrs connected -with tho city of Christehurch wero discussed by tho flavor (Mr J. K. Archer) with tho Prime Minister in Wellington last Friday.

Mr Archer reported to the City Council last night as follows :

Housing. I had an interview with the Hon. J G. Coatos regarding tho question ot a loan for housing, and I impressed upon him tho desirability of securing for us tho £50.000 for which wo bad applied, or as largo a portion of that, as possible. . . 1 was received very sympathetically, but the Prime Minister pointed out the difficulties that wero in the way. One is that applications from individuals and public bodies, amounting to between four and five million pounds, nro nireadv in the hands of the Government. Wellington alono has applied for £IOO.OOO, to bo paid in two yearly instalments of £50.000 each. Another difficulty is that the Government, is not now able to borrow money as cheaply as it has done previously and will probably bo obhged to raise tho rato of interest by one- or one and a. quarter per cent. The Prime Minister asked whether it would not bo possible for us to secure money for the erection of houses from tho Public Trust or some other administrative body with money in hand. He promised to place- this matter before his colleagues and do everything that is possible. While in "Wellington I made exhaustive enquiries as to what is being'done there, and found that the Wellington City Council is taking up the matter i« a very energetic fashion. It has officially enquired into tho exact state of affairs as to tho need of housing within the Citv and romo to tho conclusion that at'least 10,000 of tho people 'are living in overcrowded conditions. Tho Minister has accepted an invitation from the Council to personally examine the conditions which prevail just as some time ago the late Itfc. Hon \V. F. Massey, at the instigation of the Auckland City Council, made a, personal investigation concerning housing conditions in that city. Tho action of the Wellington City Council suggests that it is time for us to bestir ourselves and seriously tackle this urgent problem.

Widening Main Thoroughfares. Tho other matter which I discussed with tho Prima Minister was one brought to my notice by our o\vn.enj»ineor, Mr Galbraith, viz., the desirability of securing power to prepare for widening; the main arteries of our City to 100 feet. Mr Galbraith pointed out to me that as the. City-grows we shall find 65 feet too narrow for the thoroughfares, and that wo ought now to decide which shall be the wider roads, and when granting permission for subdivisions or re-erection of buildings to form our plans accordingly. Tho Prime Minister promised to give this matter serious consideration, in consultation with other Ministers.

Cr. D. G. Sullivan, speaking regarding housing, said that investigations should be conducted in order to ascertain the extent of the shortage in Christchurch. At present tho information available was most inadequate.