A BRIGHT FUTURE

Evening Star, Issue 19660, 13 September 1927, Page 2

A BRIGHT FUTURE

BUILD! NCI TRADE 111 DIM Dill Although a serious slump is threatened in the building trade in Christchurch everything points to tho tact that tire position in Dunedin will remain satisfactory for a long time to come. “ Dunedin has again been more fortunate than most of the large northern centres.” commented a leading local builder when asked to express an opinion about the future of tiro building trade in Dunedin. “Wo are much better off than the trade is in Christchurch,” he continued, ‘‘and there is every reason to believe that for a year or two at least things will boom here. I know there is a little unemployment at tho present time, but 1 think all the surplus labor will bo wanted in a few weeks.

“ The trouble during the past six months has been the slackening off in the building of dwellings, which is a sure sign of the general shortness of money. The fact that so many of tho speculative builders who came into existence with the good times of a year or so ago aro walking about tho streets is evidence that something is wrong. Personally, and I think 1 am voicing the opinion of a large percentage of builders, 1 hope the speculative builder continues to walk the streets; but, of course, I know he won’t. When there is a little more cash in evidence there will be a demand for houses, because tho present slackening off is sure to bring about another shortage in the very near future. This will provide the opportunity for the “spec.” builder. Ho added that ’there were several big contracts either just starting or about to start, and he believed that before these had been disposed of there would again be a rush for all classes of dwellings. In the meantime comparatively few four, five, and six-roomed houses aro being built, though there was still an insistent demand for cottages, though finance is hard to find. Summing up, my informant stated • “ I think the trade can look* forward to several years of prosperity as far as Dunedin is concerned, because everything points to the fact that financially wo are better off than any other city in the dominion. Apart from that onr building boom was not tho artificial affair it was in some other centres. Although a good deal of speculative building was clone, it was infinitely, less than was the case in Christchurch.” - ;