A DISSAPPOINTING YEAR

Evening Star, Issue 19778, 31 January 1928, Page 2

A DISSAPPOINTING YEAR

CHRISTCHURCH CONDITIONS Striking evidence of the effects of the depression in trade during the past year is afforded by the defails of the building permits issued by the Christchurch City Council during 1927. There were only two months—September and November—in which the value of the work authorised exceeded the figures for the corresponding months last year. In every other month there was a decrease; the drop in some months being very considerable. The totals for the past twelve months and for 1926 are as follow: —

All classes of building construction have shared in the decrease, buf the drop in the number of new dwellings erected has been particularly marked. In 1926 there were 725 new dwellings authorised for erection, and during the past year the number was 641, a decrease of 184. The following are the monthly totals of new permits for dwellings;— 1926. 1927.

The position as revealed by the city building statistics is most disappointing to those engaged in the industry, especially as there do not appear any immediate prospects of a substantial improvement. —E. C. Sutcliffe, in the ‘New Zealand Carpenter and Joiner.’

No. of Permits. Value. Pees. 1928 , 1,305 £915,584 £2,434 15 0 1927 1,261 654,817 1,835 5 0 Decrease 41 £260,767 £599 10 0

January ... ... 59 89 February ... 55 4L) March ... 8U 46 April ... 58 31 May ... as 41 June ... 73 44 July ... 71 55 August ... ... 45 49 September ... 77 45 October ... ... 78 58 November ... 46 57 December ... 45 36 Totals • •• ... 725 451