SCARCITY OF DWELLINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 12, 14 January 1919, Page 8

SCARCITY OF DWELLINGS.

HIGH COST OF MATERIALS. HKi.AVisc inn.dim; kkyiyal. Inquiries made r«"£nrdiii£ tlip possibility hi" tlif lmildin<! I r;ul«' rfviving ~horily ..winir t.i ihi- k.---n il.-niiind for illjll-.<~. .wrnir.l t<i poiiii t'i m> immifiiiiti l or.i-iioti of du-.-Hii.L.'- l--iii- iimliTtiLkcn. i»wii!{! tci tin' r.,si nf timU-r unci ■ itlicr mati-rials. Oni- <rcnLli-maii wi-ll i|ii.ilili.'d t.i «-\piri'" mi .i|uni"n with n' pani tn iln' position ~( tlie tirnln-r indu--ir\ r.Tiiiirki-.l: "It is mi <.'cn-i tluit many fii-opli. a n- iwixiiniii to I,uilil now I hat 'lunar in prui-tiusilly nviT. hut tin- ipH-stion i-. whi-ii will thr nf mntt-rialo ilrop ln.-k t<. r<-aminal>l<- prii-iv? Tliv positiun i< ri'iilly .1 MTion, 0n,.." !„■ .ul-h-d. Uuuwh an- iilrcaily ffpttiiij/ -imti-c. aniJ tin- n-turn <.f tnldiiT.') from thf fri.nl must niciin an inrr'M-'il ilern.-iinl fur d-wi-lliujTs. Many ni.i.rrifil nii-n eolil ii|i Ilii-ir homos wluti tiicy cnli-t<><!. th.'ir stiariiifj hoiisfwith mlalivpsor frii'inln. Now. v,lim t!»«■ rrwri ivtnrii tl.-y will tiiilurully want hoiiiPh nf tlirir own. I'ntil tlw pricos of liiiililiiifr n.ati'i-iiil, an- rndin-i'il. lmwi-vor. then- is liltln clinm-i- nf nilli-h K|ii'clilativp l.nililiiiss hoinj: iind.-rtaknti. l« n thorp '- ;i limit Inn unci wliis-h n-nts ruimot Hi- fon-rd. Tcnaiit.- i-unsidrr ronttoo hiith now. whili- thr o,wiri> of houpiM naturally want fair intrrp.-l on tln-ir inTOfrtmrni«. When th,- rlrop in thr pri. •• of Imildinsr m.itrrial may Iw rvjuvtcd. it i* hard t<. -n\ . " \s far a.- k'liiri tinilwr i> V-ri.fs a n> tk.i likely to rail b H .-k t.. prnwar lipurpp. Ti ip jn>t at> wnll to explain in r.'jiHons for milking tli.it statpm-ra. Thr pri.-.' r.f kauri went up rnnsidPmihlT til.' foTir yr.ir- llip '.va r was in prosr<->5. anfl it not unnatiirall.r rip t houj_'lit. that a forn>s|Kindin>4 ilwlinif should follow with the ci«Kntiotl of liof.tilitirs. It, onJy Ukisc pnpiisrPd in milling kauri tirnhrr who undnrsUnd the diHiciilties ol fhp position. Kauri i-; a rapidly diminishing quantity, and Ihnl has to \x\ t:iki-n into 1-on.Hidr-ration. All tin- easily Rnt-at kauri hii-ln-s have bf-.-ii cut out, ami now I he niilliT hin txi incur murh heavier cost in lirinyiriK tin- from longer distancPH limk in almost inaeePtwiule localities. Jt must, not he forgnttpn that twi-ntv years apo it w:us said all the kauri would l>o done in another dei-ade. Tin- Cov.-rnmi'tit i-i |.r:utii-all\ 111.- holder of what kauri hiiriln'g rt-muiti, and thr royalty asked ia v licavv on.-, the liiiniaiiini hVinji alx.ut 5/- ---■ ■II tin- ground. After puyinj; thut chargfi the miller liuh to fai* Ihe inun-aectl cost >'f ;."'!iiti X tin- out. fie has also to d.-al with ulial we call the impositions of enmity poiineilH 01 tin- f.--H demand.-d for w.-nr uiiii tear on the road-i through cart- '!-!■. Milli-rs are pr.'|jan-d to pay a fair amount undur th:U. h..ad, hut tin- drmandM ■ii -oine districts are very heavy, and »vhat is -wor-i.'. the monfv Titud "is not •x|«-rided to kwp the road "in order while Liv- l.ushi-s axe Lminjj worked. Millorn have '•" il" that thp.niselv.-s, th- f..,.« hemp h ,.1,| f ..r Hμ- piirpow of makinjr a g,K,d road ""' ""• tush is worked out. I know > »n,- company I hat ha., held a kaur , i v ? r , x ?****' Pa - V '""niv rat,* ' »hp wlk.Jp fimp. not on | v n th - va)i|(i , oi J.IXC land, but. ako -on ttre timtH.-r.

Year before last 1 n< informal the rates ~n the land totalled £10. Inn an | uthiT £130 liud u> be paid on the timherl taluiition. That pnin^ , mi fur years adds jrreaily to ilio rost of tlir kauri lirfiiri , it reaeheti I ho builder.-* hand?. It nlen incrraw* tin- rosi of tin- hui'.l----iup-i when prectml. ami naturally the nut required from tliu tenant. An other cost thai ha- tn be fared is pay iiii; for the rijihl-ofwny for Irani hues .U'nii." private property. Tin , • mher miller i* looked Upon l;i« fair frame when hi- wuiit« in lay a tram to £<•: tl>r I'iLTs out. I know oni , r-inall piorp «• T j land in tin- nurtli. tin- ownpr of whi.-li mii-t liavi> rcvniv.-.l Hiwp on £1110(1 f.iri limhiT inillrrs. '['iii- i- far more than ill.- la ml ua- cv.»r worth, and \rt ih.-| • I.Miian.ls h.ivc i.i be paid. Yon will. tliercf.irp. rpaililv un.l.-r?t:in.l ih.u a« far a> kauri in cnnccmi'd. then , is nut riin<-Ti I'hanrc of .mv h\n drnp in prifi , . It i< obvious that' this 11111*1 n> turn lend t>i keep up I tic ralf> a.-ki-il for ti>tfira. riniii :ux[ inatai. 11l II.DKH- \I.\TKKIAI.S. A hanlw.irr rtif-r. liai.t when -<-en up.ir, tin- matter, said one of the rmnn 1.1 !.'■ rnll-i.|ere,| SVJS the ..l~t ofj ronfinj; ir.ui. Thai had rrurhcil si s I hflrh aj* i'M) |~m ton "in.-c the oiithroaV I of war. It mu.-t. derline in pri'-r hefunmit.h huildiiiK ■■mild 1»- nn.l.-rlakrn. T»u Bhipnii'iite »rro due th i ~ month, and after I hose bouts arrived, there «as| '"•rv pnihaliililv- of snpplir.* <omin- m! hind mc'ilerlv. While i,rr;i! UriUiin i-oiild only umierlake limited order- for stitiie time in i-ome fur roofing iron. Iliere would lie the i'mted St.ites to draw frrmi. While it wa- 1 nic I here had Wen 3 inorease in the prior of roofing iron .-alilnil front hnine. the redu.-tioiiK in rmi-t i-lintili- the k<mmU to be landed at less cost in Auckland, ami that, meant Innrr pri.es to tli>- Im-al pilr.-lia«er. but at ' present wh.it nii«ht be termed a =üb-st-antial ilr.ip in the pri.e Ha- not to l>o looked for. CLASS AND XL KXISHINt;. As far as plass in eoin-enied for the windows, the e«Ht is still hipli, but Dint ltn<' also .should be alFecU'd in due <-oiirM! by tin- lower freights. Tliere is, however, one point that must uot lie ovi.'rhxjked. If a building revival starts before the Htocks arrive a-t the reduced cost, it might havH the effect of <ausan advaJice owing to present sborfof supplies. This applies particularly to Kuch lines a-s locks nrid other furnislijfljfs. For all thece misotia a revival in the building - trade tun hardly be liopi'd for until noun- nnjntlw (m.ye I elaps(*d, und by that, time the demand | for houses must become very urate. 1 j I I