STATE HOUSING

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 189, 7 May 1937, Page 16

STATE HOUSING

Construction of Homes at Miramar INSPECTION BY MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT Dwellings in course of construction at Miramar under the Government's housing scheme were inspected yesterday by Wellington members of Parliament. The 90 houses comprising the Miramar group are being built in five separate contracts. Good progress has been made w’ith the work, and several of them are sufficiently advanced to give an indication of the attractive design and layout of the finished homes. With a continuance of fine weather another month should see some of the houses nearing the stage when they are ready for occupation. The party comprised the Minister of Public Works, Hon. R. Semple; Parliamentary Under-Secretary in Charge of Housing, Mr. J. A. Lee; Mr. R. McKeen, M.P. for Wellington South; Mr. C. H. Chapman, M.P. for Wellington North; Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P. for 'Wellington Suburbs; the Director of Housing, Mr. A. Tyndall; the supervisor of housing construction for the Wellington district Mr. R. McPhail; and the chief architect to the Housing Department, Mr. G. F. Wilson. Rapid strides have been made with the construction work since the visit to Miramar by a Ministerial party just over two weeks ago. 'Where there existed little more than foundations on that occasion the complete framework of a house is to be seen to-day. No two houses will be alike. Each will differ not only in general appearance, but also in external and internal details. Most of the Miramar houses will be of four rooms and labour-saving devices will be incorporated as aids to conveniences and comfort. In addition to the living-room, kitchen and two bed-rooms, there will be a bathroom and wash-house and lavatory all under one roof. Some of the houses will be of brick, others of timber framed with a brick veneer, and several weatherboarded. Roofs will be tiled and the plans call for a high standard of construction and finish. Several colours of roofing tiles are to be used. From Miramar the party proceeded to the Government’s joinery factory at Kaiwarra, which has been leased to the Fletcher Construction Company, Limited. There they saw the various stages in the preparation of timber for joinery purposes by drying it in the kilns, and the manufacture of joinery pieces under modern conditions. The many processes in the treatment of the timber and in its subsequent manufacture into window-sashes and other housing requirements were explained by the factory manager, Mr. G. Russell. The Kaiwarra factory, which is able to cater for from 300 to 400 houses a year, is identical with another joinery factory at Auckland.