GOING AHEAD.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 May 1920, Page 4

GOING AHEAD.

NEW PLYMOUTH'S GROWTH, MARKED BUILDING ACTIVITY. INCREASES OP RECENT YEARS. A remarkable increase is shown in the value and the number of buildings erected in New Plymouth during tho past year. It is particularly interesting 1 at the present time to note the progress of New Plymouth as shown in the Ijiuilding operations, and a striking survey covering the last four years was given to a Daily News representative yesterday by the Borough Engineer (Mr. W. H. Cook). They show a considerable increase in the number of buildings being erected eq§h year.

The figures cover the period from the beginning of the financial period of 1916 (April Ist) to the end of the last financial year (March 31st last), and white the middle years are not so high as tin first year of the period, the figures for the last year show a phenomenal increase in the number of buildings erected, and of course in the values.

The value is accounted for by the high cost of building material, no doubt, and that fact might have been expected to have reduced the amount of building being undertaken, but such seems not to have been the case. From a total of 08 buildings in 1810-17 the figure has risen to 174 during last year. In neither ease do the figures include the number of miscellaneous works undertaken, but the values given under that heading show a corresponding increase there also.

In the 1910-17 period the business premises erected (or it would be more accurate to say, for which permits were taken out) numbered sevgn, the average value of which was £3772. In the following year the average value of each building rose to slightly over £-1000, and while in the 1918-1!) year the values approximated more to those of the first period under consideration, lajt year they were much higher, each building being worth on the average just upon £6300. The chief business premises erected in the whole time were as follow, and it will be readily admitted that they are an acquisition and an adornment to the tqwn:— 1910-17.—The' A.M.P. Society's, White and Sons', Everybody's' Theatre, Ngamotu Pavilion, Cock and Co.'a warehouse, and the Ironaand Co.'s works. 1917-18. J. B. McEwan'a warehouse, Museum, Kurta's shop, May and Arrowsmith's bakery, and the Freezing Worki No. 1 extension.

1918-19.—Daily News office and the Freezing Works No. 2 extension. 1910-20.—Avery's warehouse, N.Z. Insurance Co.'s office, Nurses' Home, Kurta's shop, Boys' High School, Butcher'*, and Gadd's. In the matter of residences the average values are not so much greater for. the past year as the ruling prices of material would seem to suggest; In the 191G-17 period the average price of each residence was £640, while last year the figure was £683. The number of buildings included in last year's figures for residences indicated that an effort is being made to reduce the acute shortage of houses, there having been 129 permits issued, as compared with 38 the previous year, and 51 and 52 for the two years prior to that.

Oarages, other than buEtinc-ss premises, and the buildings erected under the "miscellaneous" heading, also indicate increases, though the best year so far as the former were concerned wa« 1918-19, when 17 garages, coating £7009, werj constructed. ''

We give below the figures for each of the four years, under the different headings, which will enable readers to see at a glance the amount of work has been taken in hand and the money expended in the Borough in erecting new premises and adding to those already in existence. The returns relating to residences include additions to hotUM:—* BUSINESS PREMISES.

Year. No. Value. 1910-17 7 £26,418 1917-18 5 £20,458 1013-1U 3 £10,800 1919-20 7 £44,070 RESIDENCES. Year. No. Value. 1916-17 52 £33,295 1917-18 51 £20,700 1918-19 39 £23,360 1919-20 129 £88,217 GARAGES. Year. Value. 1910-17 1917-18 >••••», . £164 1918-19 1919-20 MISCELLANEOUS. Year. Value. 1916-17 1917-18 * ;£1241 1918-19 . £817 1919-20 ALL CLASSES OF BUILDINGS. Year. Total value. 1910-17 £60,516 1917-18 £42,553 1918-19 £41,987 1919-20 £137,369