STATE HOUSES

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 155, 27 March 1939, Page 11

STATE HOUSES

Official Opening In Karori West SUNSHINE ESTATE ■ The first of the State houses built on the Sunshine Estate, Karori West, was opened on Saturday afternoon by Mrs. Stewart, M.P. There was an attendance of about 50. The chairman of the Karori branch of the Labour Party, Mr. H. J. Underwood, introduced. Mrs. Stewart. The adverse criticism levelled at the Government housing scheme was unjust, he said, because nobody, after an inspection, could deny that the houses, which were badly needed, were a great asset to the Dominion and would be so for many years to come.

Mrs. Stewart apologized for the absence of the Parliamentary Undersecretary for Housing, Mr. Lee, and conveyed his good wishes to the successful tenants. “The Government is asking you to help build a nation, and one way in which you can help is toy making real homes out of these fine houses,” Mrs. Stewart said. In constructing them the Government had endeavoured to retain individuality of design, while maintaining uniformity of quality. The houses had been built with a view to obtaining the maximum amount of sun in the living-rooms and principal bedrooms. Some of the outstanding features were the concrete foundations, designed to give ample ventilation under the floor to prevent rotting, the use of heart timber, the attractive finish and the quality of the craftsmanship. The Government’s policy was to use New Zealand materials as far as possible; practically all the roofs were of New Zealand-made tiles. In Karori 38 houses had been completed and would be occupied during the next few weeks, and tenders for another 46 were to be let shortly. Ultimately, at least 200 houses were to be constructed. Mrs. Stewart wished all the tenants happiness in their new homes, and, after opening the front door, handed the keys to the tenant. Those who desired were given the opportunity to inspect the premises.

HOUSING PROGRAMME Department Aims To Double Output Dominion Special Service. PALMERSTON N., March 25. “Under the present programme the Government is aiming to build 5000 houses during the coming year, and that will require 3000 more tradesmen than are employed at present and a much greater quantity of seasoned timber," said the Minister of Housing, Mr. Armstrong, today after inspecting the Government housing areas in the city and adjacent areas. On his journey from Wellington the Minister inspected houses being built in Levin, Otaki and other centres.

Mr. Armstrong said he was well satisfied with the type of houses being built and. also with the sites. The department, he said, was building houses as fast as was practicable, and the demand was increasing. The department was being reorganized with a view to obtaining a much more rapid output than in the past and the idea of bringing men from Australia was to double the rate of the output. At present there was a shortage of kiln-drying apparatus, and the department intended either to build its own kilns or to induce builders and other to assist It had been estimated that of the machinery required for the proposed enlarged building programme only 12 per cent, would need to be imported; the remainder could be produced in the Dominion.

“The real housing difficulty existed in Wellington and Auckland,” said the Minister. Out of about 16,000 applications for State rental houses, 12,000 were from those centres. It was in those two centres that the department was concentrating its efforts, but as labour became available building would be continued in other centres.