WORKERS' HOMES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1833, 20 August 1913, Page 8

WORKERS' HOMES.

THE REPORT FOR THE YEAR. THE COUNTRY SCHEME. Tho.aiimual report on workers' dwellings was presented to the House of Representatives by tho Minister for Labour (tho Hon'. W. F. Massey) yesterday. ,

Following is an abridgment of the report:—"Probably tho'principal feature of the operation-of-the Act during tho year has been tho decision of the Government' to extend, its benefits to farming, and other employees in the country districts, for whom it "is proposed to purchase or set apart suitable blocks of land to bo subdivided into sections of about 5 acres each upon which to erect workers' dwellings. It is expected that the workers resident thereon will be enabled to carry out farming in a small way on their own account, in addition to .performing tlioir ordinary duties as employees in the respective districts. 11l this way continuity of employment should be ensured to them, while, at tho same time they will bo more regularly available for the, somewhat intermittent work on which they are now engaged. In response to this decision several bloclcs of land havo been oifered for the purpose of workers' dwellings, but as it is of tlie utmost importance that close inquiries be made as to the actual needs of tho workers concerned for suoh workers' dwellings in tlie respective localities, and also as to their ability to carry out the responsibilities that would be entailed upon them by the Act, negotiations have not yet in any "case been quite completed. When these steps have been taken 110 doubt arrangements will bo inado without further delay for the purchase of suitable blocks of land, and the erection of dwellings thereon will then bo proceeded with. "The decision of tho Government somo two years ago, as outlined in the 1911 Report on Workers' Dwellings, to extend the operations of the Act from the tour main centres to tho smaller towns has proved successful, as during the past j ear land has been purchased or set apart and thirty-seven dwellings have been erected in such towns, while arrangements are also-well 'ill hand.for the erection of fourteen dwellings at.Greymouth and twelvo nt Inveroargill. With regard to the four centres, six dwellings havo been erected in Christchurch, thirty-six are m course flf erection in Auckland, and two are m course of erection in Dunedin. -• "At the beginning ot tho year UJli-12, the collection of all rentals and payments for workers' dwellings whs placed in tho hands of the Public Trustee, and there is 110.doubt that an improvement has resulted from this M-i'tthgeiiiOnt. In the former veal- (1910-11) the percentage of rents collected was approximately 88, idiilo during the subsequent two years tho peremtage has been 90 in 1911-12 and. J4 in IJI--13. It is anticipated that tins percentage will be further increased as the ; remaining dwellings that are let on weekly and monthly tenancies are disposed ot under the purchase-system prescribed by tho Act ° f Actable attached to tho report shows plainly .that the 004 of land and building construction being higher m Wellington than in the other centres, the rentals charged are-also higher. Following .are the rents domaaided in the principal centres in which the. workers dwellings have been erected:- . . Four i'lve -. Booms.- Kooms. 6. d. s. d. Auckland 3 ' ,? Wellington U'» " Christchurch - « jj Palmers ton North"":: 12 7 U 2 Temuka 12 2 13 2. Average for all towns 13 0 14 4