HOUSE BUILDING

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 143, 20 June 1925, Page 8

HOUSE BUILDING

SEARCH FOR SUBSTITUTES FOR

BRICKS.

TO THE: EDITOP..

Sir,—Your, article in the " Eyenin" Post ' of -Saturday, the 13th - June, ii a cprrect report of what lias been experienced in England .for. some considerable,time, and in answer to your correspondent, I<\. G. Whitfield, in your issue' of the, 18th instant, I .beg to draw attention that your correspondent is wrong in stating; thaf experience'gained of concrete houses built during - the last five years has hardened the. average' British citizen,in his personal liking for brick built houses. For. his information may I quote the : following extracts: "_Ovcrseas.Daily Mail," 4th August, 1920.—" Thousands of houses have "been bmlfc in AVinget blocks by Urn Liverpool Corporation, with direct labour. Mr. Badger, the Liverpool Director, of Housing, has with Hie Winget blocks developed a simple method of construction which does away altogether with any monotony of appearance and .removed the possibility of dampness.-and condensation." Six thousand houses have been erected and 6000 more contemplated.' "Belfast Telegraph, 23rd June. 1923 — In order to see .at first hand what Liverpool has done, and to test for themselves whether the new houses are of a kind that will be suitable, to Belfast a deputation from.lite council and its staff made a special visit to Liverpool. 'The deputation cousisted of Aldermen Sir Crawford M'Cullagb, M.1?., T. E. M'Connell, Oswald Jameson, Councillors Dr. Gray, and David Wilson,- Mr. John M'Gormaek .(City Solicitor), tho City Surveyor, and the Advisory Superintendent. The Liverpool example was so completely convincing that'the Belfast deputation with the evidence before them, immediately'decided to follow the Liverpool example."

"Overseas Daily Mail," Ist March, 1924:—" The great possibilities of con^ Crete ar,c shown' in a striking manner at Crayford Garden Village in Kent, where about 400 concrete homes for the workers of Messrs; Vickers, Ltd., have been built on the celebrated Winget" system of construction." ''The British Builder," October, 1921. —"The housing situation has been saved by Messrs.' A. and S. Weathers, London contractors, who are erecting 478 WinJet houses at Brighton. On these houses a saving was. made of 15 per cent, on the material and£32 per house on the labour up to first floor level."

'Other- housing schemes in Winget blocks are Sheffield 1147. Chepston 475, and many others, originals of which are open for your" perusal. Your correspondent further contends that bricks are better adaptable for earthquake shocks: My answer to this is that 57 Winget machines havo been supplied to the Crown agents for the colonies for the West Coast of Africa (which 1 has more earthquakes than New Zealand).; His statement that brick houses are -warmer in winter and cooler in summer is entirely against experts' opinions.—l am, etc., E.'TDRKSMA. Manager Winget Concrete Block Co. 19th June.