WORKERS' HOMES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1395, 22 March 1912, Page 3

WORKERS' HOMES.

ESTIMATES AND COST. DEPARTMENTAL EXPLANATION. "A good deal of delay has occurred in connection with the scheme to establish a settlement at Terrncc End by the Advances to Workers Jleparluicn't. lnlilunlinii has now been received that thn authorities arc prepared lo commence building, but the assurance has como m) lato nnd under such circum.-tancps Unit it is likely that most, if not all, tho pinsprclivc- hmis-rholders will withdraw from i heir engagements. The disnppoinling feature of the affair is that (he pstimnlos have turned out lo be nowhere near tho actual cost, of the building.' Tlio ex-poriPiu-o ,»f ono local resident, iltiistv.-i'os the inconvenience.-to which they have been put. In Jimp Inst he applied for a four-roomed house to bo erpeted on a section fiflft. x Itr.ft. Ho was told by the. authorities that Ihp cost of thn iuiilding would be. ,£2«5, to which had to be. added 4i"."i for Ihn section nnd a few pounds for administrative expenses. Tho applicant paid his deposit of nnd now Hip Department has intimntcd Hint the cost of the four-roomed dwelling would be 4?371, and (ho total, including land and expenses, 47158 75."

Tho above telpgrnm was sent out by (he Prp.ss Association from Palnierston a day or two ago, nnd when the attention of the Departmentnl officers hero wns called to it, (hey prepared (lip following statement for thn press, setting out tho facts ns they (ire viewed by the Department:— "Regarding the cost of these, dwellings, tho Department states thai in tho particular instance quoted tho information given to the applicant was that tho approximate cost of erection in wood in Palnierston North, exclusive of section, drainage, fencing, artilicial lighting, and administration, would bo 42SG, tho amount mentioned to him. The architect's subsequent estimate of tho total cost of the. • dwelling, when decided upon with the applicant, was 4?2Sfi, as quoted, plus drainage £]Q, fencing 42G, lighting £', extras required by applicant £i; total, J.TO. Tho lowest, tender received •was "for £SM. but this tender wns subsequently withdrawn on necount of illness of builder, and the next lowest lender was for 41371. Tn this amount Tequired to bo added, as above indicated, X 75 for the section, and per cent, administration on 4:374—,£!) 75.; total, 4M58 75.. The Department; obviously cannot, guarantee that tho lowest, lender available will not exceed the architect's estimatp. In some rases the tenders nrp, of roursp. lowpr than the estimate. The lenders received ni. ways vary considerably. If a builder is fniriv busy (it Hip time lenders nre railed, he naturally asks a higher price, than when he. is slack. . We have, also found that after builders have erected n number of our dwellings, .ind get accustomed to the requirements nnd 4,n Iho class of work their subsequent tenders are generally a little lower. In all cases where the cost exceeds the estimate the applicant may withdraw and receivp back his deposit. • "Regarding (ho delay in connection with tho erection of (he dwellings: Tho Department rocrels the delay, but it has been unavoidable. There has been an enormous amount of work (o bo done in connection with thn carrying out ef the Act nil over New Zealand, in negolinling for the purchaso or acquirement of land, meeting applicants, completing plans and specifications to meet their particular requirements, preparing estimates, calling for tenders, and so on. In all cases every important stop must receive Hip authority of the Minister or Cabinet, and all tenders must be dealt with by tho Public Works Tenders Board. In no case has any unnecessary delay taken place. It may he anticipated that now that the first rush of applications lias bren dealt, with, and (he administration of the Act is eelting into working ordor, in future Hie Department, will bo able to proceed with (he erection of the various dwellings required more rxpcditionsly than has been the care in Iho past.' .