WOMEN'S STUDY CIRCLE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 121, 24 May 1937, Page 14

WOMEN'S STUDY CIRCLE

THE HOUSING SCHEME

Mr. R. McKeen, M.P., gave an address on the Government "Housing! Scheme", recently to the Women's Study Circle. Those present first travelled with him through many countries, where he investigated the housing problem. Thus the problems New Zealand is trying to solve exist elsewhere. In Glasgow, he said, in trying to solve one problem they had created another in not allowing enough air space lor the number of houses erected. In Ireland they were improving the hovels by raising the walls 3ft, and in taking out the old type of "stable door" and putting in modern ones, thus making them habitable. In London a fine block of buildings had been built, but the people who were to move into them held .a banquet in the old streets, strange to say, not in jubilation, but in protest at being moved out of the slums. His opinion was that the New Zealand Government scheme compared favourably with those in other countries. Here the Government had economised greatly by having their own factories, making the joinery, etc. Nothing "shoddy" was being used, and as far as ..possible everything was of New Zealand manufacture, even the paper being made from New Zealand flax. Here they were building the houses for people with no families as well as for those with large ones. Although the actual rent was unknown he knew it would be commensurate with the income of the working man. Another problem was to allocate the houses to the people. In Wellington alone there were 2000 applications for the few houses being erected here, and not until the whole of Wellington had been minutely surveyed would they be able to tell how acute the shortage was. Mr. McKeen answered several questions. The president (Mrs. Lincker) thanked Mr. McKeen for his address, which was warmly applauded by members.