Railway Department’s Housing Schemes

Progress, Volume XVI, Issue 4, 1 December 1920, Page 79

Railway Department’s Housing Schemes

Interesting Developments at Marton and Frankton Junctions.

Through the courtesy of the General Manager of Railways and the Department’s architect, we are able to reproduce some plans and elevations of houses the Department is building for the railway employees, together with some lay-outs of schemes for housing at some of the important railway iunctions.

THE MARTON JUNCTION SCHEME. An area of 48! acres has been set aside at Marton Junction adjoining the railway station, and laid out on town-planning lines for the Department's new housing scheme for its employees. It is expected that some 50 houses will be erected here, and a start has already been made by the erection of the first ten houses. The Department is letting in separate contracts carpentering, joinery, brickwork, plumbing, painting, and any other work required, each contractor undertaking a number of houses- By doing this continu-

ous work is ensured for the men. The first house is quickly roofed over in fine weather, and the framing of the others gone on with in fine weather. When it comes on wet the men are employed inside. The scheme has been in operation seven months, during which time no man has lost a day’s work.

The contracts are for the whole of the labour and such material as can easily be obtained by the contractor, the Department undertaking to supply all materials which are difficult to procure. The timber is supplied from the Department’s own sawmill at Mamaku, and Departmental contracts have been arranged for the other supplies. For the 85 houses at present under construction in various places none of the contractors has been kept waiting for any material whatever. It is in the interest of the contractor to use every expedient in completing his contract, and the result of the system has been that the Department is building houses at a much quicker

rate than was done in normal' times. At Marton, for instance, a team of six men erected the complete framework of 5 houses in 7 days. These houses had 5 rooms, scullery, bathroom, washhouse, and outbuildings. Other contractors at Frankton, Mamaku, and Wellington are also erecting houses in record time, and relieving the congestion to a considerable extent, so far as railway employees are concerned.

At Marton, about half the area is laid out in reserves, one reserve of considerable area being fo r

Extensive planting will be done <pn the reserves, and a double belt of trees, suitable to the locality, along the boundary to prevent as far as possible any smoke reaching the settlement. Water will be laid on, and hot and cold provided for in each house. It is hoped to have electric light and sewerage at an early period.

The houses are costing the Department, roughly, about £BOO, which, for a Eve-roomed house is extremely cheap at. the present time. The rent charged to the occupants is a day’s wages for a week’s rent.

STANDARD HOUSE. N 5 2, Class B. 5 Rooms.

grazing purposes, where the men in the settlement can combine to graze a few cows to supply milk. The buildings are being erected on the portion of the settlement furthest away from the railway, to avoid any smoke nuisance. Each section will be from a quarter to a Efth of an acre, providing ample space in addition to gardening for the growing of vegetables, etc. Recreation reserves will also be provided, on which the men can lay out tennis courts, bowling greens, or cricket or football grounds. The roads in all cases are 66 feet wide, and in addition to the two footpaths, two rows of trees are being planted on each side of the central road formation.

This will mean that one man will pay 155., while another will pay 18s., according to the wages received. THE FRANKTON JUNCTION SCHEME. At Frankton Junction there is an area of 80 acres which has been acquired adjoining the railway station. Thirty acres of this land will be used for the erection of a new band-sawmill and a factory, in which the houses will be constructed on the " cut-to-fit" principle. It is proposed to cut all timber and fit the parts before transporting for erection. The fifty-acre block furthest away from

the railway will be divided up for settlement purposes on the plan illustrated. Ample garden space and recreation grounds and other reserves have been provided. The centre of the block will be taken up with an octagonal recreation reserve, large enough for football or cricket grounds. Crescent cart drives are introduced with small planted areas fronting the two main roads. These and other treeplanting areas should give the settlement quite a garden-like appearance. The roads will also have trees planted down both sides, and each section of land will occupy about a quarter of an acre. Altogether accommodation will be provided for about 180 dwellings. The Department has under consideration the erection of institutes and shops in

the settlement, which will be run by the men on co-operative lines.

While the Department is not claiming to build garden cities, it is pleasing to note that every effort has been made to make the conditions as pleasant as possible for the railway employees. This opens up a new held in housing possibilities, and is one of the hrst fruits of the new arrangement made by the Department in opening an independent architectural branch of the New Zealand Railways. Formerly this section was under the Engineer’s Department. The General Manager of Railways, Mr. McVilly, is to be congratulated on this arrangement which should have far-reaching results.