PROVISION OF HOUSES

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24581, 1 June 1945, Page 4

PROVISION OF HOUSES

PUBLIC MEETING HELD TWO COMMITTEES TO INVESTIGATE A public meeting, called by the Mayor (Mr E. H. Andrews) in conjunction with the Returned Services’ Association, last evening set up two committees to investigate the shortage of houses in Christchurch. The first, composed principally of members of the building trade, was asked to prepare representations to the Government to improve the availability of materials and manpower, and the second will investigate means of immediately relieving the present shortage of housing accommodation and will make a survey of buildings existing, but not fully utilised. The meeting also endorsed a suggestion that the Mayor appeal to owners of large homes, which are not fully occupied, to make rooms available to those in most desperate need who register with the Mayor. A suggestion was also approved (on a small number of voices but with no dissentients) that the servicemen’s information bureau in Cathedral square be opened as a bureau where information will be collected about persons in need of homes, including those at present in ill-equipped rooms and paying high rentals. , The New Zealand Timber Merchants’ Association, through Mr R. Appleton, presented a statement setting out the supply position in Canterbury. The production of building timber (rimu and matai) had steadily decreased in the last three years, Mr Appleton said. The output on the West Coast had declined by about 9,000,000 feet in the last 12 months. This was principally caused by the shortage of manpower and the change over of several mills from cutting building timber to cutting birch for railway sleepers and the enforced use of rimu to make up the deficiency of white pine for butter boxes and cheese crates, During the threat of invasion, New Zealand used 60,000,000 feet more building timber than in any other year. This was largely drawn from merchants’ stocks. In the last year, the North Island produced 128,000,000 feet of rimu and matai. and the South Island 71,300,000 feet. On a population basis of two to one and allowing for the adjustment of South Island exports and deliveries to the North Island, there would be available approximately 141,000,000 feet in the North Island and 56,000,000 feet in the South Island. On a population basis the North Island had a definite advantage of 20,000,000 feet of building timber. This amount would build 2000 houses. Unfair Allocations* Alleged The association did not think the South Island was getting a fair share of the timber available. In June, 1943. the Directoi: of Forestry allocated 300.000 board feet Of West Coast rimu a month to the Dunedin market. In November, 1943, this was Increased to 500.000 board feet, and this month, in addition to this quota, West Coast millers had been directed to supply an additional 100,000 board feet a month to Dunedin for the next three months. During the last four months, Roughly 10,750,000 board feet of rimu was sent to the North, Island., These markets, the association claimed, were receiving undue priority over the Christchurch market. Short surveys of difficulties encountered by builders and hardware merchants in obtaining supplies were given by Messrs A. Winterbourn and A. A. Perry. Mr F. L. Langley, of the Carpenters’ Union, said the trade union movement regarded the problem as a national one. Wellington required'loo homes to every one needed in Christchurch. (Cries of, “No, no.’’) A contention by Mr F. Whiley that, because of the depletion of New Zealand forests, the use of more substitute materials should be considered, received considerable support. He also suggested that persons with large blocks of land would be more ready to subdivide if they could be guaranteed a price for their sections before incurring the expense of sub-division. Mr Whiley proposed the motion that the Mayor appeal, for the admission of homeless people to large dwellings not fully occupied. Mr J. E. Jones contended that the building industry had suffered through not being declared essential. R.B.A. View “There appears to me to be a lack of direction somewhere,” said Mr D, W. Russell, president of the Christchurch branch of the Returned Services’ Association. “When we had to build urgent defence works and military camps, materials and labour were found. There was no lack of either lor construction work in the islands. Yet to-day no such direction of effort is apparent. Men who were promised the world are coming back and - cannot obtain homes.’ If something is not done, the Returned Services’ Association. with a strength of 100,000. will raise its voice and take a hand." Miss M. G. Havelaar, of the Prisoners of War Inquiry Office, said, she was approached daily by many distraught women, who would shortly have husbands returning after being prisoners of war. They had no homes to take them to, and serious psychological problems might result. Mrs R. J. McLaren recalled a sketch in “Punch" 25 years ago of a returned soldier standing at a war memorial. Beneath was the caption, “The Living Forgotten.” At this stage the motions to form the two committees were presented by Messrs R. G. Griffiths and W. P. Glue, members of the City Council. Mr Glue mentioned that he recently been given figures which showed that the building of houses was receiving, an 84 per cent, priority. He thought ■'the Building Controller should make the full figures available to show the sincere effort being made to meet the situation. After detailing the ratio of permits granted for various construction works in Christchurch, he criticised the sales tax, estimating that this amounted to £IOO on a £IOOO house At this rate a young man would be paying 2s 6d a week for 25 years to pay off the tax alone. Mr G. W. Dell recommended the formation of a local committee to issue all permits for the purchase of building materials “from foundations to roof“” and he also suggested that the building of homes under 1200 square feet should be declared essential. These suggestions were referred to the committees.

A proposal that the whole Forestry Unit of the 2nd N.Z.E.F. should be brought back to New Zealand' and employed in West Coast forests was also made to the meeting. Mr K. G. Webley advocated extended conversion of Army huts as temporary homes and the building of concrete and stone houses.