HOUSING PROBLEM FOR THE OLD COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 23, 22 October 1919, Page 8

HOUSING PROBLEM FOR THE OLD COUNTRY

A MILLION HOUSES NEEDED.. Among the returned soldiers who came back from England by the Uororata was Mr. P. 11. Graham, a New Zealand ar : chilect. who we'it forward with the Thirty-sixth Reinforcement, and, after seeing some service in France, inarched with the New Zealand Forces into Cologne. Mr. Graham is interesting, not so much for his experiences with the New Zealand Engineers, as on account of the good use ihe made of his opportunities to study the housing and townplanning schemes of Germany, England, Scotland, and Wales. Whilst in Cologne, itself a partly remodelled and altogether beautiful city, Mr. Graham personally inspected the newest and most up-to-date townships of Weisdorfi and Opladen, in the vicinity of Cologne. wJiere modern working men's residential areas have been laid out in a manner thai: combines utility and comfort, with touches of the picturesque. Whilst in Cologne, Mr. Graham heard of the scliemo whereby architects in the forces were to be given tho opportunity of taking special courses in housing . and town planning at. the London University, and he was selected as a candidate for such instruction, and spent six months under Professor G. D. Adshead, Professor of Town Planning and Housing, and nrobablv Hie most eminent English authority on the subject- ' tVict, Mr. Graham mentions that Americans engaged to re-plan some of the devastated towns in Northern Franco were undergoing instruction under. Mr.- Adshead, and others in London preparatory to going across to France. To give an outline of the completeness of the course given at the London University. Mr. Graham quoted the subjects of the lectures given, which were as follow :--'"rho Present-dav Aspect of ' the Housing Problem": "The Reouirements of a Site, and its Relation to the Industries and Main Lines of Coirniiiinicahon ; "Sito-jUnnniwr, Typos of Roads and Open Snaces"; "Tho "Plotting of llou=cs on the Site and their Relation 'to Roads and Approaches"; "Sewage Schemes, Drainage, and Refuse Removal" ; ".Modern Cottage Plans, Local f midihons, and ( Modern Reouirements" * F.vpe Plans the Plans of the Local Government IJoard of England; and Scot'""d. and of R.l.fi.A. Competitors, Considered and Reviewed": "Cottaee Equipment and Workinsr. Cooking. WashW"™ 1 " Supply, etc.'—Modern Methods : Treatment of ElevationsLocal Conditions' ; "Materials and Methods of Coustriid ion"; and "Recentlycompleted Hmisin,? Schemes, Considered and Reviewed.' From snch a complete and wide vn.riety .'of subjects, Mr. Grnham sin tod Hint tiin classes ivere able In get a vast amount of information on the housing problem. and-ihow to meet , , U( ; !l, *> (riven tho opportunity or studying and working on garden suburb schemes for places in the vicinitv of London. Mr. Graham also inspected the housing and lay-outs at Port Sunlight, Bournyille, 01,1 Oak Estate, and DorniP". Long nn d Co.'s model village, and others tihat am at present bcingr c«irried out, including the munition workers scheme at Gretna Green. After vis. iting such places in England lie wont to Scotland,'and there entered into a housm- competition promoted bv tho Glasgow City Corporation, the result of whinh he Jiad not so far hoard Jrr Graham was also privileged to examine several schemes that were being carried out under the sunervision of Professor Adshead. and exhibited the latest report (a voluminous publication* of the Local Government Tinaivl of England and Scotland for tho housing of the working Glasses.

stntM l,mt »t'is estimated that' 500.000 houses are reouired in Ensrand and Wales, and 150.000 in Scotland' but that did not include old svni insanitary dwelling*, which should b? Mnnte--11 !" ( 'l ,l:,owl ' ,|on Uio.se wern ineluded it was c'llcnMed Hint l.ft<"Mii|'l houses were required In be built in land Scolhi'd, and Wn'ns. The c,iu«c of tins extraordinary 'leniiind was th° priicl irnl of residential building during the war period, th- demand 111 a measure, rc],r»scnliui; the liniise--which would normally have been built (Minns' that period. Mr. Graham mentions that bv for I lie bi'wst portion of an areliilcets work in EtHand to-day is I lie preparation of housing schemes, including the lay-out plans: