PROPOSED MUNICIPAL BRICKWORKS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 268, 8 August 1919, Page 3

PROPOSED MUNICIPAL BRICKWORKS

ESTIMATES TO BE PREPARED,

Tho Public Health and Housing Committeo of the City Council last evening submitted tho following recommendation in its report:— "That in view of tho council's proposals for tho erection of dwellings, the council immediately .proceed with tlia erection of municipal brickworks on a site to bo selected, and that estimates by propared by the city engineer's department as to the plant required, eost ol installation, and cost of noct'ssary buildings." Councillor Wright said that the inution was non-committal, and merely invited the council to liavo estimates pre pared. Counoillor Hutchison said that in his viow the clause committed the council to tho building of municipal brickworks. He wanted to know whether tho committee thought that bricks were the cheapest material for building houses at the present time. Councillor Wright said that report!) from olticers of the council indicated that bricks would bo cheaper than concrete. Councillor Bennett said that lie was responsiblo for introducing the clauso in committee. He thought that tho first thing the council should do in connection with its housing scheme was to procuro tho necessary material to do the work. In certain portion# of the city bricks' would bo cheaper than concrete for building. If tlie council wero putting up liousos alou((sidq a sandbank or gravel-pit it might bo cheaper to build in concrete, but the thing remained to be proved. In any case, it would be wiso to erect municipal brickworks. The price of bricks had gone up by leaps and bounds recently, and the price to-day was high largely because tho liriokitiakcre had to cart their clay very long distances to tho yards. The council could establish brickworks on tlw Town Belt, and make its own bricks, at the same time excavating for the purposes of recreation grounds. On the suggestion of Councillor M'Kenzie, tho first prtrt of the_clause was altered to read"That in vieiv of the council's proposals for tho ercction of dwellings, the council immediately coneider tho ndvisnbility of establishing municipal brickworks . • Councillor M'Kenzie agreed Trith what Councillor Bennett had said, but he thought that, an alteration in the phraseology of the recommendation, would enable it to. meet with more general acceptancc by councillors. Tho rticommendation, as amended, was adopted.