HOMES FOR THE PEOPLE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 287, 30 August 1919, Page 8

HOMES FOR THE PEOPLE

NEW ZEALAND'S NEEDS " 20,000 HO USES WANTED' HOUSING .COMMISSION SUGGESTED OBLIGATIONS OF LOCAL BODIES ■A conference convened by the Welling ton Repatriation Board yes'.erday dis cussed the housing problem, and passet a number of resolutions on the subject The conference was presided, over by Mr T. Shailer Weston (chairman of tho He patriation Board) and delegates trom th< Wellington City Council, the Harboui Board, the Returned Soldiers' Associa tion. the Town-Planning Association, ant the Labour Department were present. Mr. Weston said that the Itepatriatioi Board had interested itself in the hous in|J question on account of the scarcity o] houses for returned soldiers. In en deavouring to discover a satisfactorj solution, the board had found many dith culties in its way, and had come to th< conclusion that it-.would be best to cal a conference of the various local authori ties in Wellington to discuss a line Of co ordinated action. It was suggested thai the conference should, consider the fol lowing matters:' the prevention of anj traffic or'rise in prices of land resultin; from an extensive building campaign co-operation in the placing of contracts and in building, carting, and the buviiif of land: standardisation of design; ten urea and terms of purchase and the pre vention tif overlapping! between the schemes of different local authorities. question that he wished to see promiiv entlv before the meeting was that o: finance. It should be clear that it woulc be impossible for New Zealand Uo bor jow in London lit less than 51 per cent It was also questionable whether it wouk be possible to borrow extensively in Nev Zealand for public works and the clear ins up of various war. problems at lesi than 54 per cent?. Thus iij any buildinf schemes adopted the interest to be paic by purchasers on balances of purchasi money must be 6 per cent. It was onlj right that if State and local authori ties wereito go in for extensive sclieme: the schemes should be run on business lilies. Otherwise the fortunate few wh< benefited by the schemes would be subsi dised at the expense of the many. Suet a thing would Mot be a democratic solu tion of the housing problem.. - A'lengthy motion by Mr. C. H. Chap man urged: that a large number o1 houses, probably more than five hundred was required to meet the heeds of th< Wollineton district; that the Govern ment shbuld give every possible legisla tive assistance to local bodies to enabli them to erect hbuses for their employee! and for citizens generally; and that thi Government, in order to secure loca bodies against possible loss through em barking in housing schemes, should beai one-third of the exnenses of each scheme while the local body bore two-thirds. Mr. Weston suggested that the discus tion be confined, to two noints, ,viz.: whe Iher the local bodies should be left t( go. in for schemes of their own, or who ther the Government 'should. raise onf big loan for the purpose of housing, aw allocate the money among the local bodies. ~ , , Mv. W. Ferguson considered tnnt. upor sanitary grounds not five hundred, bul fifteen 'hundred houses were required li Greater Wellington. For the whole Do minion, no fewer than one hundred thou sand rooms, or twenty thousand five' roomed houses, were needed to mnke uy the present shortage. He considered that peoplo with families \ should liavt six-roomed houses, as it was in tho in. forests of' the. public health tjiat there should be a sitting-room in each house, The needs of the Dominion as set out in the above figures had been computed on the assumption that overcrowding existed ivhoro there was less than one room to one and a half persons. Tlio number of houses that ought to be destroyed a; unfit for habitation had not been taker ;pto account in reckoning the presenl reonirements. , ■Ml*. M. J. Eeardon moved (while Mr. Chapman's motion remained uiisecnnded) that the money required by local bodies for housing purposes should be provided by the Government at the lowest rate of interest at which it could bo obtained, plus a small overhead charge to cover insurance against loss. . . . Mr. Ferguson thought that no special mention of Wellington should bo tnfido in, any resolution carried by the conference. . , The conference adopted a part of Mr. Chapman's resolution that urged upon the Government, the imperative necessity of building a Cargo number of houses to meet present needs. Mr. Beardon's motion was then discussed. ■ Mr. FeTguson considered that only a portion, say 80 per cent., of the money needed for housing should be found by the Government. If the local bodies had to find 20 per cent, of the money it would be some guarantee of economy m expenditure. There would be a great deal of squandering tho local bodies were themselves financially interested. _ Mr. J. G. Tlnrkness explained the position of the Harbour Board.; All its members. he said, favoured the idea of building houses for the employees. The board had no power, however, to purchaso land for the building of the houses, but it was rloinf? its \best to secure the power it needed. Touching upon tho resolutoin, he asked what security the local bodies would be offering the Government tor the handing over of some £li,(100,000 or ,£16,000,000. to be spent on housing. The Government was not likely to hand oyer such a sum of money without receiving some security for repayment, Mr. A. Hunt, (Tnmi-riiini'insr A demotion) said that Parliament should be impressed with tho nbsolute necessity of doing something this session to meet the present difficulty. The local bodies, he thought, should be entrusted with tho carrying out of any scheme, but tho scheme should come from a ■ higher authority than the local bodies. The conference ought to organise a deputation to tell tho' House that something had to be done straight away. Those engaged in the big industries of the. Dominion should be approached by an authoritative body, which would point, out how they could do their share to remedy tho housing trouble. Mr. J. O. Shorlnnd thought that the head of the Government should be approached. Mr. Massey must have some ecliGifiie, and must be able ;to say what he was prepared ttydo, and what lie was not prepared to do; otherwise, the. Government would have to be changed. What was happening here was happening in England, and if the problem was s'olvablo in England it was solvable here. A deputation should inquire of Mr. Massey what he proposed. Mr. Weston did not think that the loss upon a housing scheme (if there were a loss) would be nearly so big as somo people appeared to imagine. "There is a first question raised by Mr. Reawlon's motion," continued Mr. Weston. "Are you all agreed that tho Government is the proper body to raise the funds?" ' < ' The reply was a chorus of "Ayes." Mr. Wes'toh then said'that, there was a further suggestion—that the local bodies should carry out the work, but that their schemes should be approved by bHi'er authority. In connection with the second point referred to by the chairman, Mr. Hunt moved: "That the Government be requested to immediately set up a housing commission, whose duty it shall bo lo indicate to local authorities their ob'.inations in the matter of housing in their districts, to approve housing schemes, and to grant the loans, necessary for tho Carrying out of the schemes." The motion was carried. Mr. F. W. 'Rowley (Superintendent' of Workers' Dwellings) considered that the statement that 20,000 additional houses were required in New Zealand was somewhat exaggerated. He said that the Labour Department had received authority for the erection of 200 dwellings. If ail went well with the tenders for the erection of the 200 in question, he had no doubt that tho Government would authorise a further 200 soon. Tho Department put into practice the. principle of standardisation, and cut out a groat

nany of the expenses attendant upon irirnte building. Although tho Dopartnent received uii.y a .lilfl deposit as ecurity upon cadi house, the lolal imouni ot instalments in arrears at ilurch 31 List averaged only 7s. (id. per louse per annum. The Department n )stein was thus oil a sound looting finannaily, ami might now he extended intefiiiiteiy so lar as the nuinber of houses iutliorise.fi was concerned. Mr. Wcstou moved: "That with retard to loss on any moneys lent by the iovermnent lo local 'bodies, one-third ihoivld be borne by the Consolidated •'und/und two-thirds by the local auhoritics." Mr Keardon moved in amendment: 'That, the State subsidise any scheme nitiated by a local body to the extent if one-third of the cost/" Mr. H. Mainland seconded the amendr.ent pro forma. The, amendment was .lost and Mr. \\es:on's motion was carried. Mr. Weston said that his motion vjs :ontingent, of course, on there being a ose. There might not bo any; but any oss that there was should he assessed Dver a period of five or ten years. Only !)>* reckoning over such a period could i' loss be definitely established. Mr. Weston moved: "That wherever possible tho tenure should be freehold, subject to certain, restrictions nMo resijence and 6ale of the property. The motion 1 was carried. Judging from what Mr. Uowley had laid iMr. Weston observed, it was apparent that 'in the matter of standardly. Hon and getting the work done cheaply, the Government was already on the right lines with 1 its workers' dwellings scheme. Mr. Hunt moved the following resolution, which was carried: "That a deputation representative of every organised body in the city &nd suburbs wait upon the' Government during next week to urge the putting into effect of the resolutions »f the conference." • Votes'of thanks to Mr. Rowley for hw explanation of the workers dwellings scheme, and to Mr. Weston for presiding, wore carried at tho conclusion of the business.