HUGE HOUSING SCHEME

Evening Star, Issue 22440, 10 September 1936, Page 8

HUGE HOUSING SCHEME

£3,500,000 FOR FIRST YEAR DIRECT USE OF PUBLIC CREDIT SOME ASPECTS OF THE PROPOSALS [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, September 9. The completion of the necessary ar-' rangements with the lleserve Bank for the provision of the requisite funds to commence a comprehensive plan of housing construction in the Dominion was announced in a statement issued to-night by the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash; The Minister also stated that in this’connection it was the Government’s intention to give effect to its monetary policy by a direct nse of the public credit.

During the next 12 months £3,500,000 will be made available to the Ministry of Housing for the construction of houses for the State and for loans to local authorities for the same purpose. The expenditure of the funds will be under the direction of the Ministry of Housing, of which Mr J. A. Lee, Parliamentary” Under-secretary to the Minister of Finance, has taken full charge.

An initial report by Mr Lee on the housing construction project was also released! to-night by Mr Nash. The report gives an outline of the general policy with regard to bousing, with particular reference to the part to be played by private industry. “ It should be first of all borne in mind,” Mr Lee states, “ that the Ministry of Housing intends to avail itself of the existing building organisations, but that if outside organisations are not prepared to co-operate the Government will of necessity be forced to build houses itself. It is believed, however, that the best result can be achieved by the willing co-operation of all interested parties. LARGE-SCALE PRODUCTION. “ The Ministry of Housing must be in a position to avail itself of all the benefits of large-scale production, and to this end it is being organised with the object of enlisting as far as possible the assistance of private organisations. Proposals for the completion of a housing survey are also being completed. The aims of the Ministry include the following:— The provision of high-grade, rea-sonably-priced residences grouped in accordance with the best townplanning principles. The utilisation of unemployed artisan and labourer in the erection of national assets. The houses to be erected will, as far as possible, be New Zealandmade. USE OF LOCAL MATERIALS. “ As an initial step a register will be compiled of locally-produced materials and manufactures suitable for housing, the quantities available, and the price at which bulk orders can be supplied. Before New Zealand-made goods are listed the department will satisfy itself as to quality, and the Industries and Commerce Department will advise as to price and the ability of the manufacturers to ftflfil contracts. For instance, the department has no intention of assuring to brick manufacturers a regular and profitable market and at the same time agreeing to pay prices that can only be justified by depression outputs. Where private enterprise will supply service at a reasonable figure the Government will encourage the use of its products. Where an industry attempts to take an unfair advantage of the increased demand we shall take steps to provide for our requirements through direct State enterprise. “ Where a New Zealand industry can make a good article, but insufficient plant is available to cope with the needs of the Ministry of Housing, steps will be taken, in conjunction with the Labour Department and the Department of Industries and Commerce, to ascertain whether it would be in the interests of the State to advance funds for the purpose of expanding the productive power of that industry. Where manufacturers are prepared to co-operate and ‘ play the game ’ the Government will, on its side, be prepared to extend sympathetic and practical assistance. DIVERSITY OF MATERIALS. “ Where a New Zealand industry cannot meet the Housing Department’s requirements British manufactures will be given first preference. It must be obvious that stocks of building material have been allowed to become severely deplete! during the depression, and the programme which the Government eon ten*, plate s will necessitate the use of all svwsws ef material and labour rather thaw <f>i cr.e material and one form of labour, , , , ~ “ AtteimcM wm fee devoted to the problem of wsittg ss great a diversity of materials as possible. For example, it is hopes! w fe«M dwellings in timber, tries. ami and of various combinations of those materials. The speed at which Lite various schemes will develop will always be dependent on the amount of material and labour available, and it .s obvious that at no time should wo attempt mere than the physical resources of the country are capable of meeting. REGISTER OF TRADESMEN. “ A register is being compiled of all unemployed building tradesmen, and all such are* requested to send their names, addresses, and qualifications by letter to Mr A. Tyndall, Director of Housing Construction, Wellington. While a detailed statement cannot yet be issued in regard to the procedure to be adopted, the following points will give a general idea as to the lines upon which the housing policy is likely to be framed within the range of listed New Zealand and British materials; — “ Building organisations will be given an opportunity to submit designs and firm prices for the construction of houses in areas to be determined. In all cases public tenders will be called. AID FOR LOCAL BODIES. “ Where local authorities are prepared to co-operate in the building of high-grade houses, utilising materials in accordance with the policy already mentioned, financial assistance will be made available ■ and technical advice will be freely given. Many of our local authorities have areas of land already subdivided, roaded, and drained, which are admirably suited for housing schemes, and aid will be forthcoming to the extent

that is proved to be justified by reliable surveys of the housing position in each locality Information covering this form of assistance will later be prepared and in due course .conveyed to the local authorities. FARM BUILDINGS. “ The Ministry of Housing will also devote itself to the problem of raising the standard of rural housing and of farm buildings. The. farmer should bo able to secure the benefits of mass production as well as the city dweller, and, indeed, farm buildings lend themselves more to standardisation than urban residence*. THE USE OF CONCRETE. <<■ go far, very little successful concrete housing has been achieved. Tho Ministry win comma nioate with the cement companies and suggest that, with their own staff or in conjunction with established building organisations, they should attempt to evolve methods of building in concrete that will result in structures conforming to the modern ideals of (esthetics and economy. Concrete construction has one important advantage—namely, its power to absorb » greater proportion of unskilled labour than other forma of construction. While the construction of houses in concrete in the past has not been an outstanding success, nevertheless the lasting Qualities, low maintenance costs, and fireproof- nature of this material, together with other obvious advantages in a country subject to earthquakes, render it desirable that every effort should be made to evolve acceptable designs in concrete or in concrete used in conjunction with other materials. FULFILMENT IF ELECTIIN PIMISE [From Our Pakliakewtarv Reporter.! WELLINGTON, September 10. Supplementing the announcement by the Minister of Finance (Mr Nash) that by direct use of public credit £3,500,000 will be made available for the construction of Houses for the State, and loan* to local authorities for the same purpose, the Prime Minister (Mr Savage) explained that the Government’s, election policy, which was expounded from one end of the Dominion to the other, provided that instead of pledging the pubbc credit to private lenders, it would use the public credit by direct means. “ The present machinery will be used,” Mr Savage continued. “ National assets will be created, and whatever obligation remains when the assets are created will be to the national institution itself—the Reserve (Bank,