HOME BUILDING

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 197, 20 August 1943, Page 4

HOME BUILDING

SHORTAGE OF LABOUR SUPPLIES OF HARDWARE (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. A full statement relating to private building' of houses, especially in country districts, was asked for by Mr. Wilkinson (Independent, Egmont) in an urgent question he addressed to the Minister of Supply in the House of Representatives yesterday. Mr. Wilkinson also asked for a modification of import restrictions on building hardware. In a long reply the Minister, Mr. Sullivan, said that during the past 12 months a number of permits had been issued for the construction of dwelling houses, although from time to time work on certain of these buildings had had to be stopped to allow of labour being transferred to essential defence building projects. Many of the building materials now held in stock had been supplied under lend-lease arrangements, and could be used only for* certain specified purposes. It was necessary therefore for prospective home builders to show that their projects were essential to the war effort. Subject to labour being available, favourable consideration was being given to building permit applications for houses in country districts. It was not correct, said Mr. Sullivan, that the restriction of import licenses was responsible for the shortage of stocks of building hardware. He referred to steps that had been taken to obtain fulfilment of orders, and said that, despite the great difficulties facing Britain, there was reason to believe that New Zealand would receive total supplies of builders' hardware this year in excess of those received in 1941.