THE HOUSING SHORTAGE

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4864, 12 August 1925, Page 2

THE HOUSING SHORTAGE

STANDARDISED BUILDINGS. IMPORTATION FROM NORWAY. At the monthly meeting of the Hauraki Plains Farmers’ Union at Ngatea on Monday evening a suggestion to overcome the housing problem of the Dominion was made by Mr Bratlie, who stated that ready-mad-j houses of five rooms could be imported from Norway and erected in New Zealand for about I'4oo were it not for the customs duty. Norway shipped these standardised houses to nearly every country inr the world. The New Zealand -Government imposed, a prohibitive duty of almost 50 per cent., no doubt to protect New Zealand workmen. This duty should be remitted until the shortage of houses in the Dominion was overcome. The houses were built of Baltic fir, a better tim-, ber than could be obtained in New Zealand, and very many designs were available for selection. The building of standardised houses in Norway was a very big industry, and an agent of one of the firms was in New Zealand seeking to open up business, but the high import duty proved an insurmountable barrier.

It was decided to approach the Government and ask that it look into the question with a view to a removal of the duty on standardised houses imported in the flat until the shortage of dwellings in New Zealand had been overcome.