Mr Massey.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18342, 27 March 1925, Page 8

Mr Massey.

We Buspeet that tho Prime Minister felt a little strange yesterday when ho celebrated his birthdaj-. His days and years are lived so strenuously for his country that lie has little time, to spare for personal enjoyment, and his thousands of friends would have had some cause for anxiety over his unusual freedom yesterday if they had not known that he would soon be as busy again as usual. But the knowledge that, In his own words to the All Blacks, lie is "round tho corner" and recovering his strength makes tho fact that ho is a year older of iittlo consequence. But liia birthday, we may be sure, will be remarked in many countries besides New Zealand, for a Prime Minister , who is still I'riuio Minister (iftor nearly thirteen - years cannot escape attention. And iii addition Mr Masscy is the only Prime Minister left who, hold office in 1914 on the eve of the Great War. New Zealanders do not need to be told that there must be some rare quality about a leader who can bo maintain his hold on the people's regard, It is because they discovered this long ago that they keep on sending liim to spend liis years, or most of them, in Wellington. It is not only that lie is known to be straightforward in liis speech and above suspicion iu liis actions, for oven such honesty is not a monopoly. But it is very seldom that a Prime Minister combines, as Mr Massev docs, honesty of this order with outstanding administrative ability, political wisdom, an immense capacity for work, and 3 happy instinct which enables Mm, whenever ho'speaks for the people, to voice their sentiment so accurately. His fine work for the Empire during the war and his skilful steering of the Dominion through the slump that followed it are still fresh in tho mind, pnd his robust, cheery presence makes him personally welcome wherever he goes. And as Mr Massey is never so happy as when lie is workiug for the public good, the Dominion's interest and hope for the future fortunately coincide with his own huQpincs?

Steel Houses. The news, which we published the other day, that a committee is to be set up in England, to report on Lord Weir's proposal to build steel houses,, is evidence of the extraordinary difficulty of the housing problem there. The building industry is incapable even of providing a sufficient number of new dwellings to meet tho needs of the yearly increase in population, much less or" overtaking the leeway of years. The fact that a wooden house is regarded rather as a curiosity in England may be amusing in a country where timber walls and iron roofs arc as common as briek chimneys, but it is really a serious matter, since it means that building is a slow process, and the output of houses consequently limited. It is htrange in these circumstances that a proposal which promises to build faster and cheaper and to reduce unemployment by utilising unskilled labour should meet with such determined opposition as Lord Weir's has. One would understand if; if it were proved that the steel houses would be unsightly or unhealthy or uncomfortable. But this lias not been' generally said of Lord Weir'a houses. The Weir house has been described as a "rather attractive type of "bungalow," the outer sheathing being of steel and the inner of composition boarding or three-ply panelling, according to taste. The roof is of asbestos tiles, and it is admitted that in the matter of internal fittings and conveniences the house is as well equipped as any other type of small dwelling. Lord Weii-, who is a shipowner, was not indifferent to the spectacle of many thousands of meu hanging round the shipbuilding yards and engineering shops of Britain waiting for jobs, and he conceived the idea of finding work for them, and at the same time helping to easo the housing situation, by turning out houses in large numbers in a material of which there was a plentiful supply. The men were to be paid at the rates which they would have received in the yards or shops, but this did not satisfy the building trade unions, which demanded that they should be paid building trade rates and employed only under building trado rules and regulations, which no doubt could and would bo lised to strangle the enterprise. There are of course always difficulties to be overcome when arranging for the dilution of skilled labour, but there was no suggestion that unskilled workers should bo set to brick-laying or plastering. And as the building trade by itself cannot hope ever to overtake the shortage of houses, there is not even a selfish explanation of tho unions' unnatural refusal to allow unemployed men the right to workJ