HOUSING PROBLEM.

Shannon News, 27 July 1923, Page 4

HOUSING PROBLEM.

‘ The probldM of finding the population with %oußihg -accomihddation is not'purpiyalNewZealand is world wide. It is an economic and not a politieal problem, still ’the politicans are determined'to attempt a solution. During., the war:, building operations almost ' everywhere practically ceased. The fit £ theft trerh ’ drafted ihto the fighting forces, and what urgent work had to be done was done by the older men. '^The : an inordinate deina'M" fof timber, and this' caused priefes to.'advance. Then again cement was needed front in increasing rqhahtiiies ; and advanced. For practically; sve years, if not longer, . building of . dwelling houses was held up : owing l to variety of -‘‘ causes arising out "of 'the war.' In the'meanWhiie there was the usual destruction of houses -through fires and conflagra* : tions, "though, 1 '‘perhaps, hot to the ■safiiie 1 'extent ‘as; :in pre-war times. Tteh again numbers of marriages took plaee, many of > the soldiers ' marrying 1 . before : the frOnt/and on 1 th'feif return they naturally desired to ihavO homes of their Own, and there were no homes for 1 thein. There was thhs’ ah 'extreme' shortage of houses in all parts-of New Zealand. About two years ago> many df 'the local bodies

endeaVotired to pro-ride homes, among the humber being the Wellington City i Couheil. - This local authority built about a dozen houses in the neighbourhood of Northland, one of the suburbs E of the city, and 5 it is hardly likely that jthe 1 Wellington City Council would * seek* to f repeat ■ the r experiment. It had jto pay dearly for all the materials ; fequiredi and ’ the labor costs were t, ridiculously high, sb much so'that thb > lowest price at which it could sell one of ’ its four roomed ‘cottages was ‘ £1750. The labor' costs were high, because ‘ long deferred commercial buildings were started and there was :f | necessarily ■ keen competition for the ;-, limited labor available. Carpenters

werb able to .command very high wages and Igave in return the'minimum of laboi.^The competition for carpenters and jothehs engaged in the building trade was keen, and the carpenters werd quite independent and frequently arrogant.; 5 The slightest criticism on the part fof the employer and the man gathered jup ins tools and departed with his eheqUe, knowing qiiite well that he had meTejiy to ’ walk ; into ' the next street wheife another building was in course of erection, and the builder would fall on -his neck and implore him to accept work again at a fancy wage. - 1". ‘ “ -

w| are*'destined--to Kave a repetition of ail this because the-Government is about to make an effort through the Advances Department to solve the problem. * The Advances Department, undeV the proposed legislation, is to lend' to workers up to about 90 per cdrit/of the valued and is to increase the amount of the : loans. Of course, th&ijftte of interest is to be very moderate, -just a shade higher than the rate paid Fby the Government itself. The terms are to be extremely attractive, and It will surprise everyone if there is" not a wholesome demand for advances. ? Money will flow out of the Advances to air and sundry, of whom will desire to build and others again will be wanting to purchase! ready-built homes, and these conditions will result in an aftermath of trouble. The labour available in New Zealand is limited, and if there is any groat rush to erect building wages will ascend rapidly and the workers will not give a fair return in labour, because point of view the conditions would bo so satisfactory that they would endeavour to prolong them by curtailing the amount of labour they each ’give; that is to say they will draw eight-hours’ wages for six hours or less labouV. That happened during the last building boom and will happen again. Then; timber will rise in' price because of thb increased demand, and so will cemeht, which is already too high and the nlonopoly of two 1 concerns in New Zealand which are thriving. If the borrowers from the Advances Department prefer buying existing houses then there; will be a boom in house property, and property agents will again spring up like mushrooms. What safeguards are to be applied is not disclosed, but unless there are some stringent conditions that will prevent labour costs advancing and property booming we will iave a repetition of the soldier settlement fiasco. Properties were purchased when values were 5 at: their peak and k great many inexperienced men dumped on the land and loaded up with loans; Even experienced soldier settlers went ’under. The solution of the housing problem may look very simple to the politician who desires to figure as an optimist and a courageous man, but in the long run it is going .to prove very costly, and very ruinous to many people. If the Government would allow cement, timber and other’building materials and builders’'suharies to be imported rYeely private enterprise would be quite equal s to providing more houses, but as things stand at present ‘ building -fibines for people does not pay.—Gazette.