WORKERS' DWELLINGS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 223, 14 June 1919, Page 10

WORKERS' DWELLINGS

ERECTION OF 200 AUTHORISED

MORE WORKERS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY Afr. V. W. Hov.ley (Superintendent of Workors' Dwellings) yesterday announced time authority had just been received for Iho erection of a first instalment of. 200 . workers' dwellings,, ami also for the receipt of applications from workers earning salaries i.p to .K-5 per minimi. Formerly, no application trom persons earning more than .£175 per annum eouid Vβ cntcrtninud, so that thp fixing of the new I'iitiv at 4225 represents an important widening of the Department's nctivitta). . '

"The Department," said "Mr. Kowley, "is instructing its agents lirrmigiiout tho Dominion at once lu allow a fortnight for tho submission of further applications for those , dwellings. ,lt hn? rot 200 applications in hand at: present, possibly iiecause. the former conditions of eligibility excluded the majority,of the worker* in this country, or because the people knew that the Department was unable to proceed with the construction of many homes on account of the .\iigh cost of material. .The Department's agents will report upon the ;:pplie:mts who come forward, and Iho Workers' Dwellings Board in Wellington will then deal with each application, approving or rejecting it. In each case close inquiry will be iiinde to ensure that the npplicant is of good character, and likely to carry out his financial and other obligations io the hoard. Having rU dealt with the applications, tlie board will iillocate the 200 dwellings lo the different towns according to tho demand. Precedence among the approved 'applicants will bo 'determined by the order in which the applications have been received.

'".ft is .probable that only two or three types of dwellings will be "reefed, since the Department is anxious to introduce n measure of standardisation, and 60 economise on the cost of erection. As I have stated before, I ho Department hopes to 'be able to build in concrete rather than .in wood, because concrete, 'though dearer at first, is in Ibo long run cheaper than -wood. We are. at preeent, by the way, investigating quite a largo number of proposed systems of construction.

.Having called for iind received tenders for the building of 200 houses, the Department, will ascertain whether ' the prices are reasonable, and whether the applicants will be able to make the payments involved. It may be explained that the weekly instalments payablo on concrete houses are based upon repayment of tho principal in 361 years. . They amount to 6 per cent., l iitli rates, insurance, and maintenance, bringing them up to seven per cent, in all. Thus, on a concrete hoiise costing £750,' the applicant would havo to pay ,£1 per week. The period of repayment of principal on wooden dwellings is only 25J years; so the rate is necessarily higher than that for repayment upon concrete dwellings.. It amounts to 7 per cent,, plus rates, .insurance; and inaintcnaneiv-iii all, lo nb&nt' Bi. per cent. Therefore, on a wooden dwelling costing, say, ji'OO, the weekly payment would bo 235. per week. • "If remains to be-seen whether, when tho cost, of building is so high, the De-. l.iiu'tmenl: can obtain tenders sufficiently low- to enable it to erec't houses aI; a figure within the statutory limit of .£750 for house and seetion, and nt a figure the applicants will be able to pay. To avoid monotony in the appearance of its houses, the. Department proposes to distribute them about in twos and threes, Kiicl vary their front appearnnco slightly."