House Valuation Changes Sought

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31004, 9 March 1966, Page 3

House Valuation Changes Sought

(New Zealand Press Association) TAURANGA, March 8 The New Zealand Master Builders’ Federation, with the general manager of the State Advances Corporation, would approach the Minister of Housing, (Mr Rae) to seek a more realistic price structure for State Advances Corporation loan purposes, the federation decided at Tauranga today.

The Waikato association of the federation considered unrealistic the corporation's present policy of assessing the value of the average house, said Mr S. I efhbortf. of Waikato.

L.VUUUVI WA VI The corporation was setting itself up as a price controlling bodj' to which the federation had no right of appeal, Mr Lethborg said. I He said something similar to a ‘’model house schedule” 'should be prepared by the cor- ' poration and priced by various (individuals to arrive at a fair ' price. At the end of every six (months the schedule should be (revised to allow for cost in-1 creases i Mr Lethborg was speaking I in support of the Waikato, association's remit. HELP BY ECONOMIST Past presidents of the Mas-, ter Builders’ Federation had

recommended that the feder: tion get the aid of an econon ist to prove that the inflatioi ary trend referred to by got ernment economists was nt peculiar to the building indui try, said the federation’s na ional president, Mr R. G. Alet ander, of Napier. Mr Alexander was presen ing the annual report. The past presidents ha recommended that an ecor omist’s aid should be sough so the federation could fui ther prove to the Governmen that immigration would hel reduce inflation. CEMENT LEVY The past presidents reconi mended to the executive tha the federation should asl cement manufacturers for ; levy on cement, which woul< be used to finance the federa tion’s research and promotion al activities. Progress towards the estab lishment of a degree course in building has been disap- j pointing. Mr Alexander said. This was in part a result • of failing to follow the cor-) rect procedure within the university and to unexpected opposition from the New Zealand Institution of Engineers. The engineering body recognised that there was a case for the high-level training of ’uture executives in the buildng industry, but felt it would jest be achieved by the exension of an engineering de-1 ?ree, or by diploma or postjraduate courses in building.! DEGREE COURSE i “What is not accepted by I the institution is the fact that! the industry has its own spe-l cial needs, which can be best! met by taking something from!

I each of the faculties of architecture, engineering and commerce, and then adding some- ! thing more to achieve the curriculum desired,” Mr Alexander said. The matter was being pursued and it was hoped the .-[first intake for the degree - course would be in 1967, he - said. The federation wlil urge all t specifying authorities to re- - late tender deposits to tender • prices and to return deposits ■ when the contracts have been i stamped and signed. The purpose of the remit , was to eliminate the “quite 1 unnecessary” practice still ’ followed by some authorities I of retaining tender deposits j and quite often requiring a j bond in addition to the de-1 posit, said Mr R. R. Wardrop, j of Nelson, who presented the I remit. ■ The federation will also . seek a mandatory requirement' : [ for all authorities or persons i II calling for competitive tenHders to supply full lists of | • j prices and the names of sue- ■ Icessful tenderers to all bona ifide tenderers within two! weeks of the closing date.