PRIVATE ENTERPRISE AND HOUSING

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24052, 14 September 1943, Page 4

PRIVATE ENTERPRISE AND HOUSING

A denial that’ the Government was killing private enterprise in the building trade was made by the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser) in a speech at Christchurch last evening. He said that the vast majority of houses built for the Housing Department were built by small builders.

• The Prime Minister said that since the Labour Government had come into power three times as many houses had been built for private persons as had been built in the same period immediately before that. He referred to the National Party policy of making State Advances loans available for almost all the cost and said that was already being done by the Government. Since it had been elected there had been 5700 special loans of up to 95 and 100 per cent, of the total cost.

authorised to release lorries. Army Headquarters has also authorised local commanders to make transport available. Special petrol licences, the letter states, will be issued if they are required by private operators. The letter advises that all construction should be in light timber and pinex board. “It will be necessary, therefore, for committees to confer with representatives of the Public Works Department, the Building Controller, and contractors, also signwriters and painters. ... It would be advantageous to contact the builders’ organisations set up under the defence construction programme, as these bodies have the means of speedy allocation of work. Costs in connexion with the manufacture of these floats will borne by the Government.” (