The Housing Problem.

Progress, Volume XIV, Issue 6, 1 February 1919, Page 433

The Housing Problem.

(From the New Zealand “Times,” 20/12/18). Sir, — seems to he an erroneous impression that the increased price of sawn timber is responsible for the present, high cost of houses. As a matter of fact sawn timber is quite a minor cost of a building. >. ' The Government has appreciated the fact that the cost of houses is comparatively high and an

erratic attempt is being made to remedy this by fixing the maximum price of-sawn timber.. Why sawn timber? The point at which the price of timber .should be fixed is when its use reaches the community, for it is obvious if fixed at, say, on railway trucks that the Railway Department (and in some cases shipping companies), the carters, timbermerchants, builders, architects, and land-owrers are free to exploit the public, and the public, in supplying the. sawmillers,with commodities and services, the prices of which-are not fixed, are free to exploit the miller.

There is no reason why houses should not be provided to the community on a fixed 'maximum scale, for they all consist of practically the same materials and work. This is especially so in the case of workmen's homes, where good, clean, wholesome conditions are the features aimed at.

If the rich want houses of an ornamental character by all means provide them, but make them pay for. the ornaments. A fixed maximum price for, say, bricks, timber, plaster, roofing, iron, standard door and sashes, etc., in position, would be just as easily arrived at as a fixed maximum price for sawn timber, and the advantage would be that a worker could know exactly what his home would cost and that he had received a fair value. Land submitted for building sites should be subject to a fixed maximum valuation at which the owner must sell to the public. "Why close our eyes to this aspect of house cost? '

The Board of Trade is arranging for standard boots to be provided to the public at a fixed maximum price. If standard boots, why not standard homes?' It should be recognised that the Board of Trade has power to fix the maximum price of any commodity, and that being so the machinery for obtaining fair values is already operative. 20/12/18 FAIR VALUES.