BUILDING IN ENGLAND

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 70, 24 March 1933, Page 6

BUILDING IN ENGLAND

(To the Editor.)

ol' I"^^'^ advice from. Home' forecast a buildmg boom in England. It is estimated that anything from one to two mil- £ WA°S ng L class houses ar«' needed today.- Although there is already .the 1924 housing scheme in full operation; whereby thousands of houses have been, or are being built, now on top of that the Government realising the total inadequacy of that scheme to meet the demand is about fS v *m™ a new.Housing BUI for which the building societies will furnish the money, and who have about forty million pounds,for the purpose. The actual financing is to be on the basis oi the private builder putting up 10 per cent, and the societies 90 per cent; of tne latter the Government guarantee the societies against loss up to 20 per cent the money to be lent at 1 per cent, less than the usual rate of interest charged. As a result of this new Bill and the building already approved of to be carried out at a cost of twenty millions, unemployment in the building industry should be wiped out. ,

Hitherto the building trade has been generally speaking, more flourishing in the south of England than elsewhere, but prospects now are that it will" spread throughout the United Kingdom. Glasgow has already placed contracts for £250,000 apparently under the 1924 scheme, for housing in the Scotstown districts, and under the same scheme it is reported that Aberdeen is placing contracts'-for £500,tXX). At various.coast towns on the Clyde there is great activity in bungalow building. Seeing that the building industry in this country is second only to the primary, and that at present the building trade is dead arid probably will be dormant, for several years to come, is there no means whereby some of'the many artisans here cannot be helped to England where they would, at least> be able to earn a living at their trade instead of being a burden upon the rest of the community; We are a class! that would not ask; but through no fault of our Town we are helpless, and nigh hopeless, compelled to live the existence of relief workers, and may have to continue so for years; the allowance made to us, meagre as it is, will'soon mount up to more than the fares would cost Home. ■

In the above I have given but a brief statement of the latest news and those interested should obtain latest newspapers from Home, especially "News of- the World," sth of last month.—l am, etc., R.B.S.