THE HOUSING PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 227, 22 June 1944, Page 4

THE HOUSING PROBLEM

When he addressed a conference some months ago the British Minister of Health said: “I am convinced that we shall not solve our tremendous post-war housing problem without the help of private enterprise, as well as the local authorities.” As the same factors will be required here, probably the conference of interested organizations which the Associated Chambers of Commerce have decided to convene will prove to be a step in that direction. The tentative agenda paper shows that the policy already adopted in Great. Britain has been studied, because the possibilities of temporary dwellings form an important part of the British scheme. One of these houses of. the pre-fabricated type, is being exhibited in London now, and the Minister of Works, Lord Portal, has stated that construction on a large scale can begin as soon, after next November, as materials can be made available. Plans provide for the production of from 2000 to 2500 of

these houses weekly. , , It is impossible, without data regarding the likely demand and immediate minimum requirements, to say to what extent it may be necessary—if at all—to provide “interregnum” houses in the Dominion. Efforts should be directed to making them unnecessary, but there will obviously have to be close co-operation in. the associated industries whatever the ultimate decision. One item in the list of things to be considered, the question of cost, will be of paramount importance to very many people who have been preparing for the time when they could have a home built to meet their requirements and individual tastes. The inclusion of delegates from the Building Societies’ Association should prove helpful in that respect. Their experience of the difficulties that confront would-be home-owners should keep the position of prospective owners before those interested in actual building. It can safely be assumed that some proportion —and it may even be substantial —of the deposits that have been accruing in the trading and savings banks of recent years represents the basis of a future home-building plan. The difficulty that must be anticipated is the margin between estimated costs and funds available. It is the bridging • of the gap that often exists there, that creates a very real problem, and if the conference could devise practical “methods by which cost obstacles may be reduced”—an item on the agenda paper—it will have done much to remove obstacles for many people who earnestly want to own a home. ... . . r One step in that direction would be the endorsement ot the views expressed by the British Minister of Health when, dealing with housing, he said: “The aim must be to reduce controls to a minimum.” That would preclude the methods used in connexion with defence building operations from being extended in order to govern post-war activities in this respect. What tends to accentuate the problem now confronting the industry, and the Dominion, is the fact that building is a long-period industry,, whereas the demand for houses will increase rapidly once demobilization commences. 4he immediate may be much greater than the continuing demand, although there appear to be good grounds for believing that for many years .that demand will be strong.

In, Switzerland, as from the beginning of next month, each person will have to surrender certain bread coupons regularly, and an equivalent quantity of flour will be stored ready to be sent to the hungry countries as soon as they are liberated. This will be a real measure of sacrifice. As one frontier after another was closed, the Swiss faced serious food problems, but they apparently had foreseen the danger. On the outbreak of war they adopted a plan, named after its promoter, the Wablen Plan. It was designed to make the country as far as possible independent of outside food supplies. Before the war the area under cultivation in Switzerland was 460,000 acres. By the end of 1941 this area had been increased to 770,000- acres, and in the following year exceeded 900,000 acres. The Government authorized, and in some instances ordered, the clearing of forest land that would add a further 20,000 acres, and the Swiss are now said to be aiming at having more than 1,000,000 acres under cultivation. One result has been that whereas tbe Swiss used to produce about 45 per cent, of their food requirements they have raised the percentage to 8 . the chief deficiency being in wheat. Some time ago the Swiss authorities ordered that a certain amount of potato flour must be used in order to prevent a reduction in the monthly ration. That being the position, t e reduction of the ration now reported represents a direct cut in the foo supplies available to the individual citizen, not in order to strengt en e position of the country in this Aspect but to enable the Swiss to aid thei unfortunate neighbours when the opportunity is presented.