HOUSING CONSTRUCTION.

Evening Star, Issue 25170, 9 May 1944, Page 8

HOUSING CONSTRUCTION.

TO THE EDITOR Sir, —It was most arresting to read in your issue of 4th hist', an article of news headed ' Built In Two Days, Miracle of House Construction.' One could be pardoned for assuming that the Dominion's housing problem had been completely solved. Even after reading the whole article, a layman could be pardoned for assuming' that four men in a joinery factory could gather together and fashion from the necessary building materials all the parts required for a complete house having l.(M)oft of floor space in the space of two working days (number of hours not mentioned), while less than two days was taken in its actual erection. Thus two days have stretched into nearly fourdays. ' Certainly it mentions that the building commenced on prepared foundations; presumably these did not take

any labour at all. Perhaps the same can be said of building of chimney, thp setting in of range, grates and hearths, the installing of the hot and cold water services, the bath, basin, sink, and electric lighting system, and the making and installing of even a meagre cupboard system. Drainage, spouting, and downpipes, and lead-trapped wastes cannot be laid or fitted by means of a magician's wand, nor could the wall sections have three coats of paint applied while they were being prefabricated. Nothing is mentioned of the fitting of ceilings, windows, doors and cupboard furniture, nor of inside painting, papering pr decoration. Your correspondent convinced that prefabricated sections ■r the building of cheaper houses is the one way out, (but why not tell the people all the truth, not the ridiculous story of a house built by four men in two days?—l am., etc. _'■ : ' Ready To Occupy. May 8. . "