"DEAD, HAUNTED SHELLS"

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 62, 7 December 1920, Page 8

"DEAD, HAUNTED SHELLS"

GOVERNMENT HOUSES AT MIRAMAR PROGRESS LEAGUE AND HOUSING QUESTION "They seemed dead, haunted shells, from \vhich all life and hope had vanished forever," stated the secretary of the Central Pi-ogres? League Mr. G. -Mitchell, M.I 1 ., in his report to last night's meeting of the league, on his visit of inspection to the Government houses under construction at Miramar. 'l'ho particular houses lie referred to were the twelve taken over by the State from tho contractor, aomo four or iive months ago. "Early in the session," continued tho report, "Sir William Herries stated that 6ix houses would he ready in a month and tho other six tho following month. I then visited the work, and I again visited it last week. • Tho houses stand in nearly the same 6tate a? they did on my first visit, and at the preent rato of progress will not be finished by nest session." Tho report went on to outlmo tho stato of the Government housing cotitTiiofs at Miramar. Along Brondwav twelve houses were about completed, and eight others roofed in. Progress had improved, but was still very slow. As regards the Manning contract for 5-1 houses, tho contract was let ill November, 1919, all .the houses to be completed, in October last. The. walls of four houses were completed, and vhilo better progress was being made_ with this contract, much moro was desired. Tlioro wore, continued Mr. Mitchell, private firms proposing- to build. largo mimbors of houses. together with the ordinary privato building, wure our best hope of solving tho housing problem. ,

Lttlll. . The Report Discussed. Mr. A. L. Hunt said that they did not need any instanced to emphasise the seriousness of tho situation. The question was, What remedy could they suggest? In this 'connection he drew attention to tho fact that in England the probloni had been largely relegated tft What wcro known us public utilUy societies, on the lines suggested to the New Zealand Parliament this year by the Town-planning Association. Mr. W. I'. Cotton said that lack of building material ivas a big factor in the present shortage of houses. It this difficulty were jjot over private enterprise would readily interest itself in tho matter.

Mr. AV. H. Field, M.P., pointed out: that tho Government had nn awkward time ahead of it in tiding the counlry over the immediate future, and too much assistance could not bo expected of it. Mr. \V. A. VeitcTi, M.l'., referred to the difficulty created through the enorpious floating population in ion. Those people, on account of the nature of their employment, could not settle down in nhv 'special locality. Ito suggested that a deputnlion should wait on the Government, asking it to Gpoed tin tho Housing Department. At the same time, ho added, it ought to be recognised that a shortage of materials had up to tho present acted as a serious deterrent. Mr. Hunt referred to the necessity for' speeding up the house-building programme in the Dominion if theyi wished to attract immigrants to tho coutnry. The report tvas then adopted.