VACANT ORIENTAL BAY QUARTERS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 236, 3 July 1944, Page 4

VACANT ORIENTAL BAY QUARTERS

Room For Sixty Persons

An approach concerning the utilization of vacated naval quarters at Oriental Bay for temporary housing has been made by the mayor of Wellington, Mr. Appleton to the acting Prime Minister Mr. Su,lifan. Mr. Appleton stated this when statements made at the U.S.A. Dominion conference in Wellington last weeir were referred to him. In a housing discussion Mr. W. E. Leadley,. a Dominion executive member, had said that Mr. Appleton was investigating temporary accommodation. The Minister of Rehabilitation, .Major Skinner, replying to representations bv a t conferenee deputation. said that the utilization of military camps was proceeding today; alterations were being carried out in various, parts to make these places fit to house families. Mr. Appleton said that he had written to Mr. Sullivan concerning using the vacated quarters to relieve, the present acute position. Shortly before that the. Town Clerk, Mr. E. P. Norman, contacted the Acting Prime Minister's private secretary on tlie same subject. In his letter, said Mr. Appleton he stated that as a member of the Me lington Rehabilitation Committee .he knewthe accommodation difficulty ns tt afleeted many returned nieu. He also realized the problems now confronting the Depaitment of Housing Construction. Ou Thursday, Mr. Norman, the city engineer. Mr. K. E. Luke, a Government olheer and himself inspected the quarters and he could assure Mr. Sullivan that with ht“ L expense, 30 Hats could be provided to accommodate at least 60 persons.. He knew that space was required tor the Internal Marketing Division, but from what he could see there wt)s ample both for its requirements and to provide the flats. In view of the set-up of most of the space it would be regrettable waste to turn it into offices. Communal feeding w-ould prob.ib.) have to be provided. TOe rooms could be used because it would be aimcult to arrange individual cooking uni s for the various people. However to provide food for 60 peftple would not be an insuperable difficult)’ with he equipment already installed. It could be worked much o u the same hues as had been done in Great Britain. today or tomorrow. If this was done he was sure Mr. Sullivan would agree that they were most suitable for temporary bousing and the council would be only too ixlad to co-opcratc. Further to this letter to Mr. Sullivan. Mr Appleton said that his attention had been drawn to the possibility of utilizing other vacated military quarters whicn might take some hundreds of people.