HOUSING SCHEME

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 47, 25 February 1937, Page 8

HOUSING SCHEME

, BUILDER'S CRITICISM

ASCERTAINING COSTS

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

TIMARU1, February 24.

The annual conference of the New Zealand Federated Builders' and Contractors' Association opened, at Timaru today, Mr, W. Mill, of Wellington, presiding.

The delegates were accorded a warm welcome by the Mayor of Timaru (Mr. P. C. Vinnell).

In his presidential address Mr. Mill referred to the' Government's housing scheme. He said builders appreciated the action of the Government in having associated with them the Institute of Architects in the,preparation of plans for the housing scheme, but he could not help thinking it would have been wiser had they requested the co-opera-tion of builders, and through their executive submitted an average design in order to ascertain the possible cost before committing themselves to such an important and expensive policy. Private concerns elsewhere had adopted somewhat similar action before finally committing themselves to the major scheme. The Hon. H. T. Armstrong told them in an address at the last conference that "a very decent house could be built for £750, and a man who takes a more expensive proposition places himself in an impossible position."

Mr. Mill said if the Minister's words were worth anything at all it looked as though the building venture of the Government would mean failure. It appeared that the trouble lay not with the idea of the Government to provide very necessary houses, but with an uncalled for and more elaborate thing than was justified.

The conference decided to ask the Government, with a view to reducing building costs, to remove the sales tax.