H.— 11b

Session 11, 1912. NEW ZEALAND.

WORKERS' DWELLINGS (REPORT ON), BY THE HON. THE MINISTER OF LABOUR.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly pursuant to Section 18 of the Workers' Dwellings Act, 1910.

In accordance with section 18 of the Workers' Dwellings Act, 1910, I have the honour to present herewith report of the Superintendent, Workers' Dwellings, on the work done under the Act for the year ending 31st March, 1912. W. F. Massey, Minister of Labour.

Sib,— 16th May, 1912. I have the honour to report on the working of the Workers' Dwellings Act during the year ending 31st March, 1912. As anticipated in last year's report, following on the issuing of the necessary regulations, forms, &c, under the Act passed at the end of 1910, the year just ended has been one of great activity in the Workers' Dwellings Branch of the work of the Department of Labour. The earlier portion of the year was taken up in the distribution of information on the subject, in the purchase of land in different centres (viz., inspection by the Board, preparation of surveys, plans, estimates of prices of sections, &c), in hearing applications, preparing specifications and estimates of cost of erection, calling for tenders, and so forth, with the result that fifty-nine houses were all in course of erection during the year, although none of them was quite finished by the 31st March. As the return appended to this report shows, the dwellings being erected comprise twenty-two in Auckland, twenty-three in Wellington, and fourteen in Christchurch ; arrangements are completed, or nearly so, for the erection of about twenty-four more dwellings, of which six will be at Palmerston North, nine at Timaru, and nine at Temuka ; while six or more applications are awaiting hearing at Greymouth, Christchurch, Nelson, Te Puke, Hastings, Wellington, Gisborne, Auckland, and Wanganui, and negotiations for land are pending at Greymouth, Christchurch, Nelson, Te Puke, Wellington, Gisborne, Auckland, and other places. Where there are less than six applications the Board does not consider them, as the cost of supervising so small a number of dwellings would be too great. The land purchased or set apart for workers' dwellings during the year comprised the following : Island Bay, Wellington, 23 sections (all being built upon); Taitville, Wellington, 32 sections (for which applications will shortly be dealt with); Wanganui, 18 sections; Napier, 26 sections; Timaru, 9 sections (all being built upon) ; Temuka, 12 sections (9 being built upon) ; Levin, 8 acres ; Blenheim, 27 acres ; Rangataua, 3| acres ; Dunedin, 27 acres ; Huntly, 20 acres ; Palmerston North, 34 acres (6 sections being built upon). The land now available for new dwellings is located as follows : Auckland (Otahuhu and Ellerslie) ; Wellington (Taitville, Johnsonville, Melling, Petone); Dunedin (Mornington and Ravensbourne) ; Christchurch (Addington); Levin ; Wanganui; Palmerston North ; Rangataua ; Napier ; Huntly ; Blenheim; and Temuka. In the first year's operations there has necessarily been some delay in dealing with the rush of applications received, but now that the Act has been got into working-order and the inspection of the numerous sites offered mostly completed, it is anticipated that a much larger number of dwellings will be erected in the forthcoming year, when the full benefits of the Act will be the better seen. The provisions of the new Act (passed in 1910) are a great improvement on those of the former (passed in 1905), and I have no recommendation to make for amendment,