HOMES FOR WORKERS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 65, 19 March 1925, Page 5

HOMES FOR WORKERS

IN HUTT VALLEY

BUSINESS MEN'S SCHEME

CO-OPERATION WITH GOVERNMENT..

Proposals formulated by a committee of prominent business men having for their object the prosecution of a comprehensive scheme of • home construction on the lands recently acquired by the Government for settlement purposes in the Hutt Valley, ■were submitted to the Hon. Sir Francis Bell and the . Hon. G; J. Anderson, Ministers of the Crown, by an influential deputation yesterday afternoon. It was suggested that the scheme should be carried out by the committee in co-operation with the Government through the medium of the State Advances Office. The chief spokesman, Mr. W. T. Strand (Mayor o£ Lower Hutt), stressed the fact that Labour leaders in Wellington had pledged the wholehearted support of the unions for the full development of the project. The deputation was introduced and its objects briefly stated by Mr. W. D. Hunt, and those present besides Mr. Strand were Messrs. D. J. M'Gowan, H. "Vickerman, H. Amos, W. Gray Young, D. J. Bews, C. J. B. Norwood, and.P. 0. Watt. The details of the scheme were submitted to the Ministors by Mr. Strand, who said that the cpmmittee which was putting the matter forward consisted of ten gentlemen living in or around Wellington, with power to add to their number, and was comprised of an architect, building contractor, engineer, sawmiller, importer, and business men of large mercantile experience. With the exception of himself, the members of the committee belonged to the Eotary Club. It was felt that the purchase by the Government of the land at Lower Hutt afforded a unique opportunity of building cottages for workers in a manner that would be a credit to the district. A very fine lay-out could be provided in ■what might be termed a garden suburb, where there would be ample room, and where material for construction was cheap. He thought the surroundings could bo made very artistic. Sir Francis BeS. : "Concrete is cheap?"

Mr. Strand replied that he meant gravel for malting concrete. Sir Francis Bell: "You don't think Jimber is cheap?" HOUSE SHORTAGE A MENACE Continuing, Mr. Strand said it was felt that the present shortage oj houses was really a menace to the health, morals, and tho happiness of the community generally. The shortage was as acute as ever it was around Wellington and Auckland s the Government Statistician's figures showed that. Moreover, it was felt that, from a national' point of view, every family should "have its own home, and encouragement should be givea to that fend. When, the sacredness of family life was touched it. meant that ths foundations of the British Empire were being' nibbled at. From, the point of view of thrift, and for the good of the community, every man shoulcTbo encouraged to purchase his own home. It was suggested that'-the cottages proposed under the scheme should be built in brick, concrete, or tinbor, with material procured at the least possible cost, built jn the most modern way; and be laid out to a neat and convenient plan. By erecting cottages in large numbers it was thought that the cost could be reduced very materially, and thereby make the capital now being advanced for workers' homes provide something like 20 per cent, more'homes than it was doing at present. The purchaser should have the benefits of that cheaper construction, the committee's aim being to enable a working man to purchase a brick or concrete cottage for £1 or £1 Is per week, and have a nice section.

Mr.. Strand said it was not desired that any new Department should be created, as it was felt that there was ample machinery now for working in conjunction -with the State Advances Department. If possible, a senior officer from that Department should work with the committee, not for ■ purposes of control, but to allow the Department to become familiar with the work done. The Hon. Mr. Anderson: "What does your £1 per week cover?" Mr. Strand: "Interest and sinking fund, land and buildings." Asked by Mr. Anderson what it would cost in tram and train fares for a worker to get to the proposed new settlement, Mr. Strand said that the railway workers' tickets would be 2s 4d per week, and the time occupied in. travelling from the city fifteen or sixteen minutes. The sum he had mentioned would' not cover insurance, rates, or taxes. Mr. Anderson: "What do you reckon that would be?"

Mr. Strand: "The average cottage would be approximately £5 per annum." The sections—six to the acre—would Be/ v^'ued at £150. With brick houses repairs would be a very small item for some considerable time, but the cost of these had not been gone into. It was estimated that the cost of house and land •would be about £800. The insurance would bo about 3s 6d per £100 on the cottages. It was asked that the Finance Minister should allocate a sum of. money to be used for the payment of materials, etc., as the work proceeded, the money to be administered by tho State Advances Superintendent, and all accounts to be kept strictly in accordance with methods required by the Auditor-Gen-eral. FOR DESERVING CASES "We think when these cottages are erected," continued Mr. Strand, "that they should bo sold to the people who are most deserving of them." There were many instances where people put in applications who in the first place were not deserving cases, and'in the second place had no intention of keeping up their _ payments.. The committee felt that it should carefully investigate each application, and select first of all those people with families, and those who it considered would make good and endeavour to meet their obligations. As the 'cottages became ready for occupation they should be sold to those'desiring to purchase under the same terms as the Department was now lending, the. purchase price to include the land and all other necessary charges. The purchasers should occupy the cottages as homes, and if they sold the whole of the purchase money should become due and payable. Speculation in the houses should not be permitted. Mr. Strand proceeded :—

We feel, Sir, that" we can be of assistance to you and to the country at the present time. We are a selfappointed committee got together to make you this offer, and we are prepared to give of pur best. We do not ask for any remuneration in any shape or form. We are prepared to give our time and ability, whatever we have, gratuitously for this purpose. We do feel, however, that any out-of-pocket expenses that may be incurred should be repaid to any member of the committee who has

incurred them. We do not pose at all to be a, committee of saints, we do not think that this is going to bring about the Millennium,- but we do feel that it will help materially to assist the country at the present time. We want to see cheaper cottages, cheaper homes for the people to dwell in, and that is our object in coming before you.

Other details of the scheme, submitted to the Ministers, were that 1 the sales should be restricted to persons who were in receipt of £300 or under, and that the committee should, as far as possible, use material obtained through and by the Government Stores Control Board, except in such cases where the particular knowledge of any member would make it cheaper to procure elsewhere (such as timber, metal, sand, etc.)- In that case the committee would consult with the heads of the departments most familiar with those particular articles. The usual methods of business would be applied, as though the committee were constructing for themselves, every possible cave : and supervision would be given and the most modern methods be used, and, where possible, the contractsystem would be adopted. | THE RATE OF INTEREST In reply to Mr. Anderson, Mr. Strand said that the money for the scheme ! should be made available at the same rate of interest and sinking fund which the State Advances was now charging. Mr. Anderson: "Do you propose that a mail who takes a cottage should put anything into it?" Mr. Strand : "Exactly as it is now under the 95 per cent, scheme." Mr. Anderson: "As far as the Wellington district is concerned you are asking for special facilities to be given to applicants for dwellings on this particular land?" Mr. Strand: "Yes. We do not wish the present system to be interfered with at all, and we do not wish that present applications should bo set aside or put further back for our purposes, but we ask that a sum of money should be made available, as it is required by this committee, to erect these cottages' in as cheap and as substantial a manner as possible."

Mr. Anderson: "I suppose you would have a similar .committee in Auckland, Chris'tchurch, and other cities?" Mr. Strand replied that that was purely a local matter for the people concerned. Mr. Anderson: "Just so, but your committee would be in favour of the Government working with similar committees in the cities?" Mr. Strand indicated assent. Mr. Anderson: "You understand it would entail a considerable amount of money in addition to what is expended at present?"

Mr. Strand: "Yes ; but we feel that in' Wellington and Auckland, according to the statistics we can gather from Mr! Malcolm Fraser, the shortage is more acute than in any other place." Mr. Anderson agreed, and said it had always been so. Mr. Strand said that the increase in population was not being provided for. The statistics showed that in a number of homes in Wellington at the present time over four people were living in one room, including the kitchen. Both Sir Francis Bell and Mr. Anderson concurred that a sixth of an acre per cottage would be a fair, amount of land t to allow. HELP FROM THE UNIONS In the course of further discussion, Sir Francis Bell said the ideal thing in the matter of getting cheaper houses was for the unions to join in the scheme, but he was afraid that was Utopian. You sec, if the carpenters and the bricklayers, and the concrete hands would join us in providing cheap \ houses, the thing would be solved. That is Utopia, and I don't suppose we can help it." Mr. Strand: "I have discussed this with the Labour leaders of Wellington, and they assure me, if such a thing is brought forward, that they will guarantee that the best of labour and the best of service is given as far as the unions are concerned."

"If you can produce that ideal, I think we should encourage it," replied Sir Francis. If plumbers, carpenters, and timber 'merchants were reasonable they could have cheap houses. All of the members of the Government would very much appreciate the offer of help, time, and work from citizens of Wellington towards helping to increase the number of houses. He would have to consult his colleagues, and could not say anything definite beyond the fact that every one of them would welcome the cooperation of business men in the work the Government had to do.