BUILDING COSTS

Hokitika Guardian, 30 November 1932, Page 6

BUILDING COSTS

A REDUCTION EFFECTED. ENGLISH RESULTS. (Per Association ~ Copyright.) WELLINGTON, November 28. Builders in England .have been seriously attacking the problem of costs, according to Mr J. W. Graham, of Christchurch, president of the New Zealand Master Builders’ Federation. Mr Graham returned to the Dominion by the Maunganui to-day from Sydney, having visited with 'Mrs Graham during . the last six months Canada, England, France, Italy, and Australia. ,In England, he studied the Building situation and found that, although cost s were still higher than before the war,' steps had been taken which lfad proved most effective in cutting down the price of construction for any particular kind of building.

‘''Throughout the' cities in the Home Land,” said Mr Graham, ‘‘housing schemes are still being energetically proceeded with. In England and Wales siftice the war more than £1.000.000,000 has been spent on the 1,500,000 . houses constructed. A large proportion of these have been eubsi-d'-ed hv the Government and local (authorities to the extent of £15.000,00(0 per annum, but in the present campaign for economy the Chancellor of the Exchequer has made it clear that he must substantially curtail expenditure land it is now known that there Is not likely to b e any further. Government assistance for buildings. “private enterprise, however, has devised means of reducing costs and ■ meeting the needs of the various 'classes requiring housing, and already, at the present time about two-thirds ; of the total number of houses being

erected are unassisted by a sujyidy There is a- general demand for the removal of Acts, such at the Rent Restriction Act, which are re]ic s of the war, *tnd a great hindrance to development and the natural working of economic laws. There is also a strong effort being made to as'ist !n the better housing of the poorer clashes also •without reliance upon rates and taxe s for /finance. MODERN FACTORY BUILDINGS.

I “Contractors in London,” said Mr Graham, “appear to have been very successful in their determination to reduce building costs, wh'dli are still , exceedingly high, as compared with pre-war costs. Great economies are ► now made by the strict observance of a pre-arranged time-table .of Opera-; j'tions. It is estimated that th e time of building has been reduced bv from I cne-dxth to one-third. In London the 1 designs of commercial buildings are | still following the classic treatment | that has been in evidence there for many hundreds of years. Generally speaking, the ..commercial building has remained in the same style ’throughout that period. ’lt was in factor’ instruction that One s aw the .modernistic' designs such a« are the usual practice :on the ’Continent. Some of the .new and colourful factories on the ’outrdni'tis of London were exceedingly striking, and their arrangement ;and • equipment inside were remarkably modern and efficient.”