TOPICS OF THE TIMES

Southland Times, Issue 18837, 2 June 1920, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE TIMES

Although the Prime Minister announced last December that he would be spending “at least £1,000,000 per annum” on providing houses, the progress made so far has not been excessively rapid. Six months of the year are past and all that the Minister of Labour can point to as a result of his efforts in the housing business is nine completed houses. He has, however, 191 in course of erection and in addition tenders for 197 have been let, while 609 other buildings are “in contemplation” whatever that may mean. The Prime Minister will probably he severely criticised by his political opponents for the small progress that has been made, but it must be admitted that there are heavy obstacles in the way. The Minister of Labour has stated that his chief difficulty is not lack of labour but lack of material. It is absurd to argue as one Liberal organ does that because the “facilities for obtaining material now are no worse than when Mr Massey proposed to spend a million a year” there should be more houses built. Every builder to-day knows that it is extremely difficult to get building material and the government is no better off than the individual who employs a builder to put a house up for him. The housing problem, in spite of a lot of talk, is hardly as acute a a it was, though it must be admitted that more dwellings are still an urgent necessity. The Department of Labour has made staeady progress and there should be a marked improvement during the next six months;

A cable message received from New York last week stated that Shamrock IV. had been launched. This is Sir Thomas Lipton’s challenger for the America Cup. The conditions for this great race state that it must be sailed in the home waters of the nation hokung the cup and the challenger must sail “on her own bottom” across the ocean to contest the race. Shamrock IV. has been ■at New York since 1914 when she was escorted across the Atlantic by the steam yacht Erin. During the voyage it was learned by wireless that the war had broken out, and, for safety’s sake, the steam-yacht took the Shamrock in tow and hastened to New York. The race, which was to have followed soon afterwards, was postponed indefinitely and the yacht was laid up'. Sir Thomas Lipton announced that he would not compete while the nation was at war.

In February, the shipyard on City Island, New York, where the Shamrock IV. was stored in a shed,. caught fire. The Shamrock and ore of the American yachts built to defend the cup, the Vanitie, were saved -o If o( Miecnl efforts, but otherwise the fire was most destructive and several . -o, ..... yaciuc, including two built of steel, were completely destroyed. Neither the Shamrock IV. nor the Vanitie was damaged.