USING THE COMMON POOL

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 131, 5 June 1944, Page 4

USING THE COMMON POOL

The statement by the Minister of Works (Mr. Semple) that the housing shortage can be overcome only according to the man-power and materials available is soundly based. There are those who maintain that all that is necessary to enable the comprehensive building- programme to be undertaken is the provision of ample credit or perhaps action by a new building authority, but money alone cannot do the job, nor is the, multiplication of authorities necessarily helpful. Municipalities have been criticised for not taking advantage of State moneys to push ahead with housing construction, but the point is overlooked that, even if they had done so, their operations would still have been strictly limited by the availability of labour and materials, and in the ultimate no more houses would have been built. Even after the war man-power and materials available for house-building will be limited by the need for proceeding with other essential construction jobs. Nevertheless, spreading of responsibility for housing will be beneficial in that it will assure that a greater range of needs is covered. .Particularly is this so when encouragement is given to private building, and satisfaction will be expressed at Mr. Semple's statement that private builders are to receive every encouragement to play their part in providing homes for the people. This encouragement will include the provision of "a very great percentage" of the materials and manpower available. The State will provide for some housing needs, but the claims of others who may not qualify for inclusion in State priority lists should not be overlooked. These people, can only be catered for by private builders, who are plainly entitled to reasonable access to the labour and material pools.