HOUSING.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 95, 21 April 1923, Page 11

HOUSING.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —If Anti-Slum is anxious for a better supply of suitable houses for the workers at reasonable rents he muit know that to take the rates off buildings would be an incentive for people to build. As to the skyscrapers, the city council has power to provide against that in the building by-laws. To show how I satisfactory, the unimproved value lis working in New Zealand, only five I places out of over 200 that collect rates lon that system have gone Tiack to tbe j old method. Land taxation, together j with building materials coming in dunfree, will enable builders to erect decent houses to let at reasonable rents.—l am, etc., G.A. (To the Editor.) Sir, —I have read your many articles also the letters by numerous correspondents on the housing question. Before I left last year for overseas I was authorised hy the Right Hon. the Prime Minister to investigate the housing question in other lands. Armed with documents from Mr. Alassey I was enabled to visit places and consult with those who were experts in this matter. They could tell mc nothing that I did" not know, for all other countries as well as this have had their Bolsheviks and cranks who are always howling against landlords and capitalists, and have made it so hot for landlords everywhere that , no person with money will touch workers houses. Then every Government and , municipality which has embarked on the i business has lost money. In every city we visited we heard of the same cry— bouse shortage. Members of the British House of Commons told us that Great - Britain had lost over nine millions on , housing schemes. In Auckland and all 1 parts of New Zealand there is a most r serious shortage of houses, but from all > the detailed information I have collected ; I think the problem can be solved on , business lines.—l am. etc.. 1 J. H. HAKXAX. : (To the Editor.) '. Sir,—ln my last letter I demonstrated ' that the housinsr difficulty was much more a psychological than a purely economic one, and as I promised I now I offer suggestions for a solution of the housing .problem. I am firmly con- - vinced that the only sure remedy within the capitalistic system itself is oiiild ' Socialism. Plumbers, bricklayers, "carpenters, plasterers, builders' labourers and others connected with building construction could, for the special purpose of providing houses for the clean, honest sober poor, form themselves into a | building guild; and I am sure the present Government would be only too pleased to put through the necessary legislation to enable the guild to function. The unions incorporated within the guild could levy the membership at the rate of £5 and upwards per . member for the purpose of purchasing materials, etc. How many unionists spend £5 and upwards in beer and bet- , ting? Vendors of materials would. 1 feel sure, be delighted to do business on easy terms on the security of the ,1 union funds and buildings. The ibest arehiiteetural .directing and managing brains within the guild would give their services at a labourer's rate of pay. \s i an experiment 100 houses could be built [ and a sufficient number of artisans and i labourers told off at union rates of pay . to do the building under an anti-uo-slow policy. Arrangements, no doubt. ; could be made with the Government to . earmark at a reasonable price an area! ,'of land within easy access of the city, L and, no doubt, easy terms could be arranged on the timespayment principle. | • Under my scheme the building guild j would, T feel confident, ibe able to build , good, solid, lasting houses (sabotageproof, too) at a much lower figure than private owners or even the Government. I The newly-built houses could be held' *I in perpetuity for the most needy-—; i widows with children, and women cursed \ with drunken husbands (if with children j 'to be given preference). The drunke* : I husbands could be placed at wages on Slate farms and the wages handed to ) their wives. The guild could appoint | ' honorary inspectors to enforce eleanli- i ' ness and to report destructiveiiess. —t ■ am, etc., W. J. PELL.