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The Dominion MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1920. MORE SPEED IN HOUSING

One ; of the suggestions made in tho course of a brief debate on housing in Parliament on Friday night was that the Labour Department, or rather its Housing Branch, has a good deal to learn from the Railways Department where the rapid erection of dwellings is concerned. Tho two Departments arc working under somewhat different circumstances in their housing activities, and in any case it is perhaps rather soon to instituto general comparisons, but there does not seem to be much doubt that thero arc features of the Bailways Department's scheme which might .advantageously bo engrafted on the Government's general housing scheme. Tho Railways Department is working to clear-out plans drawn up by an expert and aiming at tho speediest, possiblo erection of dwellings. The nature of these plans is indicated bv the General Manager (MR. M'VilljY) in his annual report. Pointing out that the Department has found it necessary to enter upon largo housing scheme and to provide houses for all permanent members of its staff, he states that

land has been acquired in. various centres, and an up-to-date factory will bo erected at Frankton Junction, where timber will be cut to standard and tho complete house will be sent to the locality in which it is to be erected. In addition to dealing with the timber for houses, tlio factory will be capnble of turning out timber suitably cut for other railway purposes j and as soon as its own urgent requirements are met' in regard to houses tho Department will be in a position to supply other Government Departments with house material cut to 6ize. Apart altogether from the economy in orecting factory-cut housos, tho numbor of houses that can be built in a given time will be greatly inoreased as compared with tho ordinary method of building.

What has been accomplished in other countries suggests that expectations of economy and speedy results in the factory production of houses are well grounded. At tho same time it should bo noted that resort to these methods does not necessarily imply that the houses must be of uniform design. It is quite feasible to reconcile the standardisation of parts with reasonable variety in-the 'design of tho completed housos.

The suggestion that tho Labour Department Housing Branch should follow tho_ lead of tho Railways Department in undertaking the factory production of wooden nouses seems well worth considering. _ The Housing Branch, it is true, is committed to a programme which contemplates tho erection of concrete and brick as well as wooden house's. The need at present, however, it to turn out dwellings of a good stamp as quickly as possible, and since there is no doubt that under right methods wooden houses best lend themselves to rapid it is upon these that the Housing Branch would most profitably concentrate its efforts, at all events until the existing shortage has been overI taken. It is important also in this connection that an up-to-date housing factory would turn out a great deal of structural and finishing material for concrete and brick hojises as well as for those wholly built of timber. As a matter of fact something in the nature of factory organisation in furtherance of housing seems to have been tentatively considered by tho Labour Department. The annual report of the Department for 1919 mentioned as oneof the directions in which housing activities might bo extended the "establishment ot workshops." Presumably the idea was that these workshops should servo much the same purpose as the factory the Railways Department Is establishing at Fr&nktctt tfunofctai, PalW-

ing out, to some extent, tho methods which served well onough when the Labour Department was called upon only to eroct annually a comparatively limited number of workers' dwellings, the Housing Branch has relied chiefly upon letting contracts. It is probably on this account that tho idea of establishing workshops lias not been carried out. In tho latest report of tho Housing Branch an opinion is expressed that as a result of the measures taken to make more labour available for the orcction of dwellings and to improve the supply of materials; and with a reasonable increase in tho statutory maximum cost of dwellings, tho difficulty lately_ experienced in lotting contracts will largely disappear. The expectation seems reasonable and there is no reason ,to doubt that the great amount of patient preparatory work carried out by tho Housing Branch will soon produce results. This, however, in no way affects the strong caso that is to be made out for tho factory production of housing parts. Speaking for the Labour Department and its Housing Branch on Friday night, Sir William Heeries said that they were now considering whether they would not form a gang to go right through tho country to build houses. They were getting modern applianoes—mixers, "the concrete gun" and other machinery—which he believed would enable them to construct tho houses quicker than at present. The Minister added that they had to increase the amount allowed for each itouse—tliat is to say, the permissible cost. In such a polioy of enterprise a place certainly ought to bo found for the factory production of houses. Whether the Housing Branch carries out the erection of dwellings on its, own account, or prefers to let contracts, the system of factory production undoubtedly offers important advantages of economy or ranid output, and there is no reason Why the liailways Department and staff should bo allowed even temporarily to monopolise these advantages. The housing activities of local bodies, also, would be greatly facilitated if they wore supplied at' eost with standard parts and fittingß o£ dwellings, and there are other in which the system might be extendod with benefit. For instance, _ tho member for llangitikei (MR. Glenn) stated in Parliament the other evening that fifteen railwayman at Marton wero prepared to build as many houses for their own occupation if plans were provided and one carpenter were detailed to assist them. With house materials turned out in convenient shape from a factory or factories much might be done on these lines to overtake the housing shortage where it is most acutely felt. The suggestion in the Marton case was that the railwaymen should be paid union rates for their building work, but where those doing the w.ork are to buy the_ houses, tho better plan would be simply to charge them for what is supplied. A very material reduction in the cost of the houses of course would result. At the broadest view, tlje erection of "factory-cut" houses unquestionably would make for economy and rapid results.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19200920.2.10

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 306, 20 September 1920, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,105

The Dominion MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1920. MORE SPEED IN HOUSING Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 306, 20 September 1920, Page 4

The Dominion MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1920. MORE SPEED IN HOUSING Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 306, 20 September 1920, Page 4

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