HOUSES THE BOTTLENECK

Chronicle (Levin), 15 March 1947, Page 5

HOUSES THE BOTTLENECK

-Press Assoeiatioh

SETTLING OF EX- SERV ICEMEN ON LAND

Sv Telegraph—

WELLINGTON, Mar. 14. TI16 suggestion that^ rehabilitatiori Aiiltling trainees at an advanced stage if their training should be sent out in p-oups to engage in rural housing con itruction and thus speed up the settle ment of ex-servicemen on the land, was "nade at the quarterly meetijig of the Rehabilitation Council by Alr. W. Clai'ke ( Dunedi 11 ) . "Could we not take them in sections. iav eight men and oue instrtietor in each group, and serid tllem into the country to do tlie joh there. It would hasten' land settlement to a great extent. '' ' Mr. T. R. Lees (Palmerston North) thought they should increase the nuinner of trainees who could build house.. in the" cities rather than reduce them. Mr. H. G. Dickie (Rotorua) said they were rapidly gettmg to a-positioii| where there were more carpentefs than inaterials. Meanwhile on the land they were hampered beeause of the housing bottleneck. Housing was the mai 11 hold-up in land settlement. Mr. S. W. Gaspar,- board member in charge of trade training, said the board .would be happv to make a proportion o£. trainees available for rural housing. The difliculty was in arranging with the department concerned to organisc : inaterials and sub-contractors. Tlu ooard had already as'sisted in a similar way with Maori liousing. He felt the saine could be done for rural housing. The Director of Rehaliilitation, Mr F. Baker, said the board knew only ton well the difflculties as regards rura. housing, but till now it had not been able to come to a satisfactory arrarigeinerit regarding sub-contractors whosc hands werq always full. It was useless carrying 011 with carpentry work vn rural houses unless arranguimenls -ould be made to have the houses contpleted and occupied.