THE HOUSING QUESTION

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1922, Page 8

THE HOUSING QUESTION

GOVERNMENT PROGRAMME, FEW ADDITIONAL DWELLINGS TO BE ERECTED. Replying to a letter from the Dominion executive of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association, in which was enclosed a resolution upon the housing question, the Minister for Labor (Hon. G. J. Anderson) states that the housing problem has received the serious attention of the department. In a letter read at the recent meeting of the executive of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association, the Minister expressed regret that, owing to the financial stringency, it was impossible to proced with the programme of housing as originally .laid, down in 1920. The whole of the funds so far available were being used to complete the work in hand, and any additional dwellings to which the department had been committed. The Minister stated that it was proposed to erect a. few .additional dwellings under the provisions of the Housing Act in Wellington and various other towns, and tenders would be called for some of these houses within a few days. The State Advances Office, which had its own funds, was also in a position to deal. with. applications for loans from those persons who could find the necessary security. The Government was fully alive to the necessity for cheap houses, and had made full inquiries, and also extensive experiments regarding the cheapest method of building, but the price of building materials and labor had rendered the cost of dwellings almost prohibitive. With the falling tendency in the price of materials and wages, more satisfactory prices should shortly be obtainable", and immediately funds were available it was hoped to be able to give further assistance in the erection of dwellings. The letter was referred to the next quarterly meeting of the executive of the association, pending the receipt of further information.