FLATS MEAN LESS WORK.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 224, 21 September 1929, Page 19

FLATS MEAN LESS WORK.

In refusing to grant a permit to erect a 'building for so-called "bachelor flats" in Vincent Street, the Auckland City Cbuiti'ir has trouble in store, for the promoters have decided to go ahead "with the scheme, permit or no permit. The arguments against the proposal consisted of the usual objections from a hygienic and social point of view, but in the September issue of the "New Zealand Carpfenter and Joiner," the carpenters' official organ, in the trade reports froiji Auckland the position from a .trade point of view is stated: "House building, too, is slack in this district, as it has , been for a long time. Here, again, changes are taking place which have their effect on employment in the trade. For years it has seemed to be the ideal to have separate detached houses in the suburbs, each with its own quarter or .fifth of an acre section. 'Now, although there are still sections for sale, and a few houses of the old type being built, there has lately been erected quite a few large buildings containing I'rom eight to twenty separate family flats. It will easily be seen that there is not nearly the same amount of work for carpenters, or indeed for any trade, in one building containing twenty residences as there would be' in twenty separate houses giving the same living space and conveniences as are contained in the flats. This change from separate family houses to many family flats may be an inevitable phase of the growth of a big city. It brings with it many problems for the city administration, and it also brings with it unemployment for those men who have been trained to the old type of house building." MR. SNOWDEN. When Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald's Labour Cabinet took over the reins of power, as the result of the British general elections | this year, many and dire were the forebodings uttered by partisans of the old regime as to the prestige of Great Britain suffering amongst the nations through a Labour Government being installed at Downing Street. It has been an accepted fact generally that it has taken generations to build up successful statescraft, and the great families of the Cecils, Salisburys, Churchills and Pitts, to say nothing of Peel, Cobden, Disraeli, Gladstone and Balfour, have been cited in proof of the contention. When Ramsay Mac Donald and his .socialistic colleagues took office many doleful critics freely advanced their conviction thfct "Ichabod" might well be written over the foreign policy of the British Empire while under Labour administration. Why? Because of the doctrine of internationalism held by a party who violently opposed the Singapore Base being established, on the ground that it was intended as a challenge to sister nations. Because of the efforts of the party to secure fair treatment after the war to vanquished nations. Because of a visible tendency of the party when in power to see that Soviet Russia was recognised as a nation under a new system of government. Many other reasons could also be advanced to account for this depreciatory 'opinion. ..... | When Mr. Philip Sns wden, as Chancellor of the Exchequer, was announced ati

about to proceed to Geneva to represent Britain in the discussion on the Young proposals I read a leading article in one of our New Zealand newspapers in which the fear was expressed that the Empire needed a ! representative skilled in statecraft to cope with the experienced diplomatists from other nations, and diplomacy was especially needed at this conference. But it did not take Philip Snowden long to impress the other diplomatists at the conference with the fact that so long as he ; represented his nation ho was going to insist on a • "square deal" for Britain. He pushed aside the now famous Youiig proposals, in which John Bull had .to concede iu every direction, with no-quid pro quo in exchange, and laid his ultimatum before the conspiring trio, saying in effect: "Gentlemen, those are proposals for a settlement. It is my "ultimatum; if not accepted by Saturday, I leave for home; I cannotHvaste time here." Seeing there was no vaccillating proletariat to deal with, the British proposals were practically accepted, and equal to four millions and three-quarters of money were secured annually to the needy British taxpayers, as an increase to the Young proposals; without which increased sum, it must not be forgotten, the British Dominions overseas would have gone short for their expenditures during the war. When Mr. Snowden left the conference, we are told, it was to the accompaniment of tumultuous cheering from the representatives of other nations, for his efforts in'settling what at one .time looked to be a difficult situation. All parties, of all shades of politics, all over the Empire have showered their congratulations to the sturdy little Yorkshircman, sturdy in spirit though not in body, for his advancement of the prestige of the British Empire. To use a Stock Exchange phrase, "Labour stocks have advanced above par."