HOUSING SCHEME

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 285, 28 August 1919, Page 6

HOUSING SCHEME

« ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL

EIGHTEEN HOUSES TO BE BUILT

AND SOLD BY BALLOT

ANOTHER SIXTY AT NORTHLAND , LATER. A full meeting of the City Council was convened for yesterday afternoon to further discuss matters in connection with the housing scheme which the council has before it. As there was a good deal of detail t<x T>e discussed; it was decided, on the motion of the Mayor (Mr..J. P. Luke) that the meeting should be in committee, the Mayor stating that after discussing a report which had been prepared by the Housing Committee) members would have a chance to speak in open council. When council resumed in the open there was no discussion. The report mentioned was adopted with amendments. As adopted the report was as follows:— "'I. (1) That the council erect forty dwellings in concrete, brick, or other equally' durable material of five and sis rooms and conveniences, on laud owned by the corporation, in accordance with the plans and estimates to be laid on the table, and that the Finance Committee be requested' to provide ways and means. (2) That the buildings be erected by day labour or contract, and that' tenders be invited for the joinery, which is to be standardised as far as possible. "11. That tho following outline for the general scheme be adopted-.— (1) Th4t houses be erected and sold to approved apfOcnnts by bailot. (2) That all houses be built of brick, concrete, or other durable material. (3) That no purchaser from the council of any dwelling so to be erected by the council as aforesaid be entitled to sell or dispose of his interest in the property for a period of five years after his purchase from the council without the consent of the council first had and obtained, unless he shall have previously paid to the counciJ the whole of the purchase money. (1) Every application must be accompanied by a deposit ■ of ,£l, such amount being returned if the applicant is not successful. (5) That a minimum deposit of ,£2O • be required from cacli successful applicant. Larger deposits will, however, be accepted from those who desire to shorten the period of purchase. (6) Sub-letting is to be prohibited. ' Circumstances warranting special treatment may, however, be considered by the council. (7) That repayments (including principal and interest) be spread over a period of, 6ay, thirty-sis and a half . years, in case of brick or concrete buildings, and, say, twenty-five and a half years in the case of wooden buildings, on a basis in accordance with standard scale; the payment of instalments to be fortnightly. Provision to bo made for repayment of principal in full a;t any time or in sums of or any multiple thereof. (8) That 12J- per cent, overhead charges (10 per cent, supervision arid 21- per cent, administrative charge) be added to the cost of each property, or such lower charges be fixed as are found by tho committee to be sufficient or necessary. (9) That the successful applicants be responsible for repairs and maintenance. and that a charge of ,£5 per house be paid by the successful applicants and set aside as a reserve fund to cover any minor repairs or alterations which may be retiuired within a period of three months after the - buildings 'are out of the builders' hands. In the event of repairs not being carried out after notice from the council, the council may undertake the work and charge tho cost thereof against the purchaser. (10) Buildings will be insured for their full insurable value in favour of the Wellington city corporation until purchase is oompleted. The insurance premium to be paid by the purchaser in one sum annually. City rates must be paid by the purchaser in accordance with the provisions of tho Rating Act. (ltt Where approved applicants possess land on which they dwire dwellings to be erected, sucii land will be accopted as the deposit towards the purchase of tho property. (12) Purchasers to pay cost of conveyancing in accordance with the scale to be submitted for the council's approval. "lll.—That the City Solicitor be authorised to 'prepare for submission to tho council the form of agreement to be entered into by the successful applicant. ' "IV.—Tha the officers be instructed to obtain information regarding indent prices of materinl required to bo imported, with landed cost, and that quotation be also obtained from local firms for similar materials, and -that the officers also report on the advisability of the council doing its own buying in England and elsewhere abroad, such information to be. reported to tho commitee."

A Definite Decision." An addition to the report was made by the following resolution:—"That t'.ie council proceed to erect the eighteen houses at Maranui, to be sold for cash, the proceeds, after paying for the cost of the building, to be added to a fund for the erection of approximately sixty houses at Northland." The "Labour four" of the council opposed the above addition, and also clause 3 of Part 111, which in the original report read as follows:— "That in the event of a successful applicant wishing to dispose of his property the council shall have the first right of purchase at a price to' be fixed by the council's valuer; the valuer to fix such value or price, by taking into consideration tho original cost of the premises to tlio purchaser, the improvements made by the purchaser, and the depreciation of ttie property. In the event of the council not exercising such right of purchase the purchaser shall" have the right to sell to a purchaser approved by the council, and tliat the same conditions shall apply to every owner."

The Maranui Property. Importing on the SLaranui property, on which the eighteen houses mentioned in the report are to be erected, tho ActingCity Engineer Said:— "As instructed by tho Housing Committee, I have to report as follows on tho allocation and estimate of proposed houses to be orccted in ooncrete' at Queen's Drive (Maranui). Tho property is ready for immediate development, having a good road with drainage andMvater supply the full length of frontage. There is a total frontage of 1000 feet, but the last 350 feet of this property is not suitable for developing. The remaining 750 feet will allow for tho erection of eighteen houses with '10ft. frontages and varying'depths from 270 ft. to 180 ft. each to each property. Estimate of cost of erection: Eighteen five-roomed houses at =£950, <817,100.

A LABOUR MEMBEIi/S VIEWS. Speaking a Dominion representative. Councillor P. Fraser, M.P., said that the Labour Party in tho City Council was opposed to some of the principal decisions of tho City Council on the housing question. With the exception of the amendment to clause I of the Housing Committee's report, ivhich substituted Northland for Miramar and lulbirnio as tho locality for the first lot of houses to be erected under the council's 36 years' purchase ischeme, the amendment curried practicably defeated the alleged objects of the committee, In deciding to erect houses at Miramar for the purpose of soiling' them outright, tho council had praotically decided not to endeavour to solve tho housing problem, but to embark on ordinary speculative building. No wage-earner could possibly have a chanco of getting one of these houses, and tho probability was they would be pounoed' upon by tho house speculator and. house, .agent,' It was claimed that

the profit made out of the transaction .•M'owla be utilised for the Northland scheme, but the only way tlie workers could' benefit from the transaction was that the profit, whatever it might bo, from the sale of the land and the houses should Ix 3 utilised to subsidise the Northland scheme uo that the houses to be orected thero could be available at a weekly payment within the reach of the working olps. there was no guarantee of that being done. The amendment to clause 111, which completely destroyed the eQieaoy qf tho attachment provision, would > permit tho greatest speculation and trafficking to be carriod on with houses erected by the city. It simply meant the utilisation of tho city's credit for the benefit of the house agents and speculators. It was most vicious. The fringe of the housing problem would not be touched by the City Council's scheme. It was, in fact, an admifsion by the majority of, the council that they were unable to grapple with the problem. It would be far better, Mr. Fraser concluded, if the council frankly admitted that the . matter of housing could not be properly undertaken without an adequate, straight-out vote of money from tho Government.

DISCUSSION AT HARBOUR BOARD. Housing matters were touched upon at last night's meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board, when it was decided to appoint the chairman (Mr. J. 0. Harkness) and Messrs. C. H. Chapman and R. E. Sinclair representatives to the conference convened by the Repatriation Board to consider the housing i>roblem. The conference is to be held to-morrow, Mr. Harkness said the board had taken some interest in the matter in the cast, and, though it was not the intention of the board to commit itself to any particular programme, yet it was desirable that the board should -be represented at the conference. Mr. C. H. Chapman said that the ten. ure of houses erected by public bodies was a very important nuestion. If tho board built houses for its employees he did not think it. should part with any safeguard regarding the freehold. Were it poss"V for employees the houses the board might find itself in a difficult position in a year or two; Mr, R. A. Wrieht, M.P., considered that if the board built houses it should sell them to the employees. The board should not go in for anything in the nature of landlordism by renting houses. "If a man is going to have any stake in the country at all he should have his own house," remarked Mr. Wright. "I am in favour of the houses being sold to those who, for the time being, may be emnloyees «f the board." Mr. M. W-. Welch: On what terms? 1 .Mr. Wright: On deferred payment, or for cash. The* chairman said the board had no power a't the present time to enter into any arrangements for building houses for its employees. Legal authority -had first to he obtained, and details would have to be 'discussed nftenvards. "My idea is," added Mr. Harkness, "that we should sell these houses so as to become for all time the property of the men who are our employees."