CANADIAN BUILDING PRICES.

Taihape Daily Times, 15 August 1919, Page 8

CANADIAN BUILDING PRICES.

A delayed cable from Canada. which: was published a day or two ago seems i to be worth while looking into l)_')' the, Government and by local aurhoriti<‘S- It i ‘started that the Canadian Soldier Set-V itlement Board was supplying s’ralld:lrldised houses at a cost ranging from £SO for a two-roomed house, to £555 Jfor a, double storey house. What‘ the) size of the “double Storey house is the cable omit~'ted to mention, but it is T 0 I be presumed that it is not less -Tllllll at least six rooms. These prices are so sfarfling in comparison with tlle»build—- , ing cost in New Zealand, even allowillg ,fer differing market and wages condiitions, that ful'tller illfol‘mfllioll 011 the subject should be decidedly interesting. Standardisation may be a big element, I in the lower cost as compared with New Zealand. VVhile fhis to some extent makes for monotony, it ought. to be pos. sible to so arrange that slight_variations iu design could be made which would eliminate sameness without impairing eflicieney. In View of the urgency of the housing problem, however, this is a minor matter, and bearing in mind that thousands of houses are needed, «and that the present cost of building is a serious handicap in undertaking Building on a large scale, local bodies might do worse than underé take inquiries as to how Canada can! build for half the cost which obtains in New Zealand. I