CIVIC HOUSING PROPOSAL

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 19, 18 October 1943, Page 4

CIVIC HOUSING PROPOSAL

By deciding to build for sale some 20 houses on corporation property,' the Wellington City Council is undertaking an important experiment in house construction under present-day conditions. Two years ago the council resolved to embark upon a housing scheme of this kind, in view of the then shortage of accommodation, but the diversion of manpower and materials for essential war work necessitated a long postponement. Circumstances are now different. The labour position has eased, and given access to necessary materials it should be practicable for small builders —whom the council’s building committee hopes will be encouraged to participate —to tender figures which will enable the homes to be passed over to private ownership, at reasonable cost. * The venture will depend very largely on the Government’s attitude ■ toward it. In view of the serious shortage of living accommodation « in the Capital City, not to mention the heavy inroads on existing pri- > vate accommodation made as a result of the commandeering of various ? premises and properties for essential national purposes, the council’s forthcoming deputation should be able to put' forward strong arguments in support of its request that the builders of the council’s houses be given the same priorities as the builders of State houses receive in respect of labour and materials. The need in Wellington for homes, not merely to meet the increasing public demand but also to replace old and over-crowded residential buildings, is undoubtedly. greater than in any other centre in this country. Because of this situation, responsible private enterprise, especially when it is under civic direction, should receive facilities equal to those enjoyed by the State Housing Department. In the course of the council discussion of the building project the statement was made that small private builders were being obliged to hire labour from large contractors who, “instead of laying men off at intervals during jobs, sub-let them at a profit percentage of five, 10 and even up to 15’per cent, of the wages paid.” If this is correct, it is a practice which should be viewed very gravely. Such trafficking in labour in a time of extreme national shortage could constitute a vicious monopolistic practice —a form of artificial cost inflation for profit, which would be the equivalent of black marketing. This allegation should not go uninvestigated. To take only the project under review, it would be wholly improper that tenders for the construction, by small private builders, of civic houses in Wellington should have to make provision for percentage “cuts” on labour costs, which might be demanded as the price for releasing men for the work.