Workers’ Dwellings

Progress, Volume XIII, Issue 2, 1 October 1917, Page 39

Workers’ Dwellings

Although the cost of erecting the workers’ dwellings seems to have been complained of a good deal, Mr. Massey seems to be inclined to go on building. He said he would like to erect a great many more this year than last. The Labour Department erected only 65 last year, and have 11 under construction now. Some mistakes had been made, he said, but in most cases the tenants were thoroughly satisfied. He hoped that when the war was over and building materials had fallen to normal prices, the Government would be able to build very many homes for workers. He said that he was taking quite a large sum for workers’ homes this year. But it was not desirable to undertake a big scheme of building, owing to the high price of materials. If houses were built at present prices, the tenants would have to pay high rents for very many years to come. During the last five years, workers’ homes had been built at the rate of about ninety a year.