GOVERNMENT HOUSES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 9, 11 January 1912, Page 2

GOVERNMENT HOUSES.

frBOM ova own correspondent.] SYDNEY, 6th January. "Government Houses" might, without explanation to the contrary, be taken to mean palatial residences for vice-rogal representatives ; in this instance, it means nothing of the kind. Wo are to have Government houses of' quite a different sort— houses built, in fact, by the Government for the people. This is the scheme of Mr. Dacey, Treasurer in the New South Wales Labour Government. It is only one more incursion into the realm of business and commercialism. I have previously referred to the astonishing growth of Sydney and its suburbs— 10 per cent, is being added to the population every year — and to the unsatisfied demand for houses, with the natural corollary of high rents. The Government's scheme is intended to provide the necessary house accommodation, and at the same time to bring rents down. Four hundred acres of land at Kensington, between Randwick and Mr. Dacey's own electorate of Botany, are to be built upon, and it is hoped to put 5000 people there. If the experiment is successful other localities will receive attention. The 6um of £18,000 is to be sQfent immediately on houses at Kensington, and the Government architect is hard at work preparing plans. There are to be all manner of houses to suit all manner of tenants — that is, in size and design ; but they are all to be of wood. This is ratner humorous in view of the Government's launching out into the brickmaking bu6iuess. "Asit is difficult to get bricklayers and bricks," explains Air. Dacey, "the idea, is to put up machinemade wooden houses of handsome and suitable design. That is to' say, all the timber will be cut and mortised by machinery ready for erection the moment it is taken to the ground, and we hope by. adopting that method we shall be able to get a number of houses up much quicker than it would be possible to do in brick. We shall have an actuarial valuation made as to the cost and value of the land, and the rent charged will be as low as is commercially possible. Tenders" will be called for the manufacture and erection of the houses." As to the management of the property, Mr. Dacey hopes to put, it under a nonpolitical ' board. Everything^ he says, is to be done on strictly business lines. The houses are to be built on an area of about 45ft by 180 ft. So far, the landlords have held no indignation meeting. They consider tenants will prefer to pay high rente rather than live in Government dwellings. j