PROVISION OF HOUSING

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26775, 5 July 1952, Page 8

PROVISION OF HOUSING

WAYS OF REMEDYING SHORTAGE

SUGGESTIONS BY MR W. B. TENNENT (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 4. Ways of overcoming the housing shortage were discussed in the House of Representatives to-day by Mr W. B. Tennent (Government, Palmerston North), when he spoke in the Address-in-Reply debate. Mr Tennent said 191000 houses a year were required to be built in the next nine years Two of the most serious problems facing the industry were a shortage of labour and irregularity of supplies. Even if there were no reduction in the cost of materials, a regular supply of them would reduce over-all Building costs by 5 per cent Mr Tennent said he would recommend that “the doors be opened” for merchants to import wall boards and corrugated iron. A monopoly on wall board supply had been created by the previous Government; that monopoly had to be broken. He urged that cement imports should be maintained till the reorganisation of the New Zealand industry was completed. He would allow exotic timber to be used more freely, and encourage the use ot cement blocks. He would re-examine the immigration policy to see if more workers for the building industry could be brought into the country. Awards should be amended to provide greater margins for skill, and so encourage more apprentices to enter the industry, Mr Tennent said. The Government should subdivide areas and build homes on a group basis, to be sold on a small deposit, he continued. The paths and lay-out of the land would be left to the owner to complete. As well as continuing with the erection of the present type of State house. Mr Tennent said he thought houses costing about £1750 each should be made available. He described twobedroom houses of 750 square feet built by the Waimate Borough Council for this price, and said they were of the type he had in mind. They would be very welcome to young married couples. He added that New Zealand could not overcome its housing problems unless advantage was taken of prefabricated buildings. Subdivisions of existing houses should be exempt from the provisions of the Tenancy Act. Opposition Criticism Mr H. G. R. Mason (Opposition. Waitakere) said Mr Tennent's speech was an admission of failure by the present Government. If the Government wanted to expedite housing, it should re-examine the use of pinus timber. The relaxation of certain regulations would also help in what should be the Government’s first priority task—the housing of the people. He said that the Government’s policy had hurt most of all the mothers of families and the age pensioners, who spent most of their incomes on the necessaries of life. Mr Mason said that one of the meanest things he had ever seen in a newspaper was the publication of photographs of two Ministers together, with a suggestion that one Minister should be relieved of his portfolio. “The blame was put on a minor Minister,” he continued. “Could there be anything meaner than trying to put the blame on a subordinate?” Mr Mason added that the responsibility for the present state of affairs rested with the head of the Government.