HOUSING SCHEME.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 180, 1 July 1937, Page 8

HOUSING SCHEME.

CONSIDERABLE ACTIVITY. RELIEVING UNEMPLOYMENT. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, June. 30. Evidence of the extent to which the activities of the Department of Housing Construction were contributing, and were likely to contribute, toward the solution of the unefnployment problem, was made apparent in a study of figures made available by the Parliamentary Tinder-Secretary lor Housing (Mr J. A. Lee). Mr Lee said that up to a fortnight ago there were engaged in actual housing construction 91S employees. “These men were engaged in actual constructional work, and the above figures take no cognisance of the men engaged in allied trades, such as the manufacture of bricks and tiles, and pipes and stoves, and those engaged in getting timber out of the bush, and making concrete accessories, and so on,” said (Mr Lr>e. “The department is commencing to call for tenders with greater speed, and it is probable that at the point at which the programme contemplated by the Government is attained, there will be no fewer than 4000 employees engaged in actual building construction. To that could Ire added at least an equal number engaged in the preparation of necessary materials. Construction so far has been started only in Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, the Ilutt, Johnsonville, Auckland. Palmerston North and Wanganui, and in some of these places the work is being held up owing to a shortage of skilled labour. Tenders have been called for 1081 houses to date, but construction is only likely to start oil the majority of these during tlie next few months.”