HOUSING.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 August 1920, Page 151

HOUSING.

THE PROBLEM OF TODAY. PROPOSAL TO SOLVE IT ANOTHER DESIGN. In various parts of the Dominion the dtudy of the question' of providing houses for the people has given rise to many suggested solutions of the problem. In New Plymouth the topic is no less absorbing, and the plan drawn by Mr. G. W. Browne and recently published in the Daily News was perused with interest by people throughout the province. The designer had no doubt gone carefully into the scheme, anil the remarks of pessimists who aver that "It. can't be done for the money," may be disregarded. , Of a more helpful nature is the suggestion for a possible improvement on the former scheme by a correspondent who knows what he is talking about. In a covering letter to us, lie says: "An attempt is made in the accompanying plan to show, working on the same area as Mr. Browne, how, what might be considered by some, a more convenient arrangement could be obtained, at a similar cost."

An Bft Cin stud is suggested by the designer, and the plan seems to indicate a very convenient -arrangement. The bedrooms are of good size, and a living room 14ft 6in by 12ft should provide comfortable quarter*, The various appurtenances seem to be' very conveniently situated. If desired the size of bedroom No. 1 could be increased to I3i"t by lift Oin by reducing bedroom No. 2 to lift' Bin by Sft, which is the eame area as tie small bedroom in Mr. Browne's plan. Another small alteration suggested by the designer is that if desired, the door from the lobby to the Bitting room could be omitted and the opening left an arch-way. For a family consisting of husband, wife'and three small children the houses would afford fairly comfortable accommodation, but would be too small for larger families, and another bedroom would be required. Plans for family houses in the Old Country competitions give sitting-room, kitchen, three bedrooms, bathroom, w.e., and laundry. In formulating schemes of this nature the requirements of the man .with a larger family should receive attention is entitled to prior consideration.

The following is the plan, the convenience, compactness, and cheapness of wliicli will be noted. It is a double house, a brick wall running between, privacy being assured.

A Dunediu authority dealing with the question of financing housing states: Since, on account of the abnormal cost of building (arising from various conditions), house-building can no longer be looked upon as a commercial undertaking, it is imperative that other means be considered with a view to meeting the demand for houses for our people. The best solution of. the problem is the payment by the Government of a subsidy toward housing projects. If this were adopted it would be the means of inducing municipalities, Borough and County Councils, and others to get into action and immediately inaugurate a vigorous house-building campaign. It. is pointed out that before the war the demand for houses was to a great ovtent met by the speculative builder, tilt the abnormal prices for labor and material now ruling render speculative building no longer a commercial proposition. No one assumes that the union scale of wages in the building industry vyill come down for some years,'lior does anyone anticipate that tho prices of building materials will drop to anything like what they were before the war. TIIE CO-OPERATIVE SCHEME "It's not a practical proposal," said a representative of the building trade when speaking to a daily News reporter on the subject of the co-operative housing scheme; mooted by four big contracting firms in Wellington, particulars of which were published in yesterday's News. He proceeded to remark on the effects which would be produced by a stoppage of all building work with the exception of houses. That such a course would mean unemployment seemed very likely, as there were many classes of labor engaged on the bigger jobs who could not be employed on housing work, in addition to this there was to bo considered the position of employees in ether trades dependent on the building works. Reverting to the actual carrying out of the scheme, the News representative's informant hazarded the opinion that it Would be eighteen months before houses would be available under the proposal. Ho doubted if many contractors would be willing to take the work on the basis mentioned, and stated there was a growing reluctance on the part of firms to take contracts for workers' dwell'nes owing to the red-tape entanglements which were encountered. It was also becoming apparent that merchants were not importing many of the lines used in building work owing to the Government restrictions, and this was helping to make mntiers more difficult and also tended to a rise in prices, which was somewhat the reverse of what-the regulations are intended for. Another gentleman who was approached, said tho housing problem was boi'/.g felt all over the Dominion, and it would not be relieved till houses were .built for letting purposes; the co-operative scheme, however, did not have the appearance of turning out successfully in practice. AN ARCHITECT'S .VIEWS. A leading New Plymouth architect expressed the view that the adoption of the Fletcher scheme would prove dia-

nstrhus, and ilci'em its object. In the first place, tile Government restrictions were discouraging the importation of building materials and accessories. .Merchants were not prepared to take any risks, and that was the real reason for the present scarcity of building articles. -Many building firms we:e not prepared to, erect housei-. They had plants and facilities for erecting large concrete buildings, and house building had no attractions for ihem.

The head of one of the largest construction linns in the Dominion told him onlv thu other day that his iirm would simply close down if the proposal brought tanvitrd in Wellington wag given effect to. In concrete building three laborers were employed to one skilled man; the opposite was the case in house-building. There would, therefore, he a good many laborers thrown out of employment if building operations outside of dwellings were to cease.

, The architect. had 110 confidence in the Government scheme .succeeding. "Why," he said, "despite all that they have said and promised, 1 don't think there is one house built under the direction of the Labor Department yet occupied, though I know of many started' a long time afterwards that have been finished and 'cupied long ago." It would be just he same with the bigger scheme that is now mooted. The driving force, efficiency, and expedition associated with private enterprise would be Jacking, giving way to tiie 'Government stroke' with all the disadvantages it connoted. The Wellington enthusiasts naid tnat it would take six months to get going with this scheme. "I say," said our informant, ' : it would be a year or more. But the worst feature is 'that it would take a year to two years to get back again to normal conditions, and in the meantime many businesses established in connection with the erection of large buildings would be ruined. Things," he concluded, "will find their own level in the course of a short time. At the rate that dwellings are goin" up we will soon up with the de" mand. The way to facilitate the erection of houses is not for the Government to impose restrictions or to interfere in any way/with private enterprise, but to give the latter full play." The problem of the near future would be to find houses for tenants. No one wanted to buiid to lot or lease. Even the New Plymouth llorough Council was not going to lease the houses it proposed to build. The day of the rented house had, he feared, gone for all time, for the reason mainly that it did not pay to build to let, and then there was the fear of Government restriction. "Take it from me," he concluded, "the Fletcher scheme, though superficially attractive, is fundamentally wrong, and should it ever be adopted it would do incalculable harm to the Dominion,"

CHURCH SERVICES. SUNDAY, AUGUST,B, 1920. CHURCH OP ENGLAND. St. Mary's—B (H.C.), 11 and 7, Te Henui—S (H.C.), 11 (M.S.), 7 (E S.) Bell Block—ll (H.C.) Omata.—7. Old People's Home—9.4s. Inglewood—B (H.C.), 11 (H.C.), 2 (C.S), 7 (E.S.) Tarlki—7 (U.S.) Kaimata—7.3o (E.S.) • Egmont Village—7.3o (Tuesday, 10th ) Norfolk Road—7 30 (Thursday, 12th.) Waitara—B (H.C.), 11 and 7. Urenui~-3.30. Tlkoraiiji—ll (H.C.) Lcpperton—7.3o. Huirnngi—2.llo. Oakura—7.ls. : Okato—ll (H.C.) Puniho—2.Bo. Stratford—B (H.C.), 11 (M.S.), 7 (E.S.) Mldhirst—2.3o (E.S.) Toko Road—2.Bo (E.S.) | Toko—7 (E.S.) METHODIST CHDRCH. Whlteley—ll and 7, Rev. A. A. Bensley, of Inglewood. 1 Fitzroy—ll and 7, Rev. ,T. F. Martin. St. Aubyii—ll and 7, Rev. ,T. White. Ounata—2.3o, Mr. E. Taylor, j Upper Mangorei—ll, Mr. G. H, White. ! Lower Mangorei—2.3o, Mr. G. n. White. ! Carrington Road—2.4s, Mr. W. Ambury. | Franklelgh Park—3, Rev. J. P. Martin. I Old People's Home—s, Mr. W. S. Cobhara. Stratford—-11 and 7, Rev. L. B. Neale. I Mldhirst—ll, Mr. D. Beaumont. I Stanley Road—2.3(l, Mr. H. W. Kerr. Tuna—2.3o, Rev. L. B. Neale. Opimake—l!, Mr. l'cttigrew; 7, Rev. C. Strand Oaonui—2, Rev. C. Sirand. Okato—ll and 7, Rev. C. Aker. Tatnralmaka.—2, Rev. C. Aker. < liahotu—ll, Rev. C. Strand; 7, Mr. Pettlgreiv. Watea—2.3o, Mr. Parker. Eltham Road—7.3o, Rev. C. Strand (Thursday) Oakura—7, licv. Aker. Waitara—ll and 7, Rev. p. B. Lawrence. Lepperton—2.3o, Rev. F. B. Lawrence. PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. j St. Andrew's—ll and 7, Rev. 0. Bltmdell. I Inglewood—ll and 7. 1 Tarata—2.3o, Mr. C. E. Perkin. Waitara—ll and 7. Urenui—2.3o. Mr H. A. Gould. | Stratford—ll and 7, Rev. J. W. McKcnale. Ngaere-2.30, Itev. J. W. MeKeuzie. ! BAPTIST CHURCH. j Tabernacle—ll and 7, Rev. A. H. Collins. | CATHOLIC CHURCH. I New Plymouth—Mass 7.30 and 10.30; Vespers, 7, Rev. Dean McKenna. Waitara—Mass !!. ltev. Father O'Connor, j Urenui—Mass 11, Rev. Father O'Connor. | SALVATION - * ARMY. Ha 11—7.15, 11, 3 and 7, Commandant Baylis. DR. SHELDON'S GIN PILLS MAKE WEAK BACKS STRONG. Backache and Kidney Trouble arc only too ' prevalent nowadays, and to successfully treat 1 them, it Is necessary to use a special remedy : designed particularly for this trouble. Such a remedy is Dr. Sheldon's Gin Pills for Back- ; ache and the .Kidneys, which have attracted ~ so irnueh attention during the past two years on account of thoir having relieved and ban- ; ipiied so many cases of this kind. . Dr. Sheldon's Gin Pills for Backache and : the Kidneys are sold at all Chemists and i Storekeepers in original sealed glass conlaln- ; ers at 2s, or in large size bottles, holding more than twice the quantity, for 3s Gd. Obtainable everywhere. ~ • It keeps hot all night—tho "UNIQUE" HOT WATER BOTTLE. Heavily vulcanised seams, patent stopper. Cannot i crack or leak. On sale everywhere and i carries the brand on neck of bottle-