THE HOUSING SCHEME

Evening Star, Issue 17311, 26 March 1920, Page 6

THE HOUSING SCHEME

PROGRESS THROUGHOUT DOM JNION. j [Per United Phess Association.] WELLINGTON, March 26. The Prime Minister made a statement voaWdjiy as to tho progress on clv/tlling* m course of ejection or being arranged lor throughout' the Dominion under the housing scheme. This showed that 133 dwellings are now in course of erection, j and there are an additional 122 for which ; arrangements are ■Droceediug—a total of j 305. A census is being taken of house-build- ' ing in operation in New Zealand at the present tune, and the Prime Minister is strongly of opinion that more building is now going on in the Dominion than at any time in its history. j RAILWAY MAKE GOOD START. 400 HOUSES CONTEMPLATED. ' [Peu United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, March 25. The Railway Department has inaugurated, and is engaged on a ho.wobuilding scheme on a largo scale. The . present programme involves the erection of 400 houses, and at tho commencement tho scheme requires aiso the establishment of a factory equipped with modern machinery for cutting timber to standard lengths. This will enable ivapid procr«<s to bo made with the construction of the houses and at the samo time will materially Teduce-their ocst. The houses will all oe built to a standard type, and will be provided with modern "conveniences. A commencement has ah. early been made with the erection of a number of houses at Kaiwarra to relieve the pressure in Wellington, whore the housing problem is at present most acute. Twenty chains of roads have been formed. 15. sites excavated, 10 houses are in hand, some of them, indeed, being well forward. The plans of the railway houses show a compact arrangement of rooms, built on tho plan of the English house, with rooms entering off the passage wav, and not entering off each other which is very common in American houses. The s«indr,rd type being built contains a kitchen, sitting room, three bedrooms, bath room, scullery, and wash houae with copper and tubs set in. ■ In addition aa outhouse is provided for wood and coal, a hot and cold water service, and electric light will be' provided wherever it is available. Moreover, each house will have in addition'to'lighting, connection for an electric iron. The department intends to work on sound town planning lines. Where practicable, each settlement will have its reserves for recreation. Tree planting. also, will be carried out by experts, ori a well-thought-out plan, by which the j natural features of the iaiwkc&pa will be taken advantage of. 1 '""S^...