GOVT.’S HOUSING SCHEME

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 November 1936, Page 3

GOVT.’S HOUSING SCHEME

UNDER-SECRETARY’S DEFENCE

[PEB PBESS ASSOCIATION.]

WELLINGTON, November 12.

Commenting to-day on allegations by Wellington builders of procrastination in the commencement of the Government house-building scheme, the Under-Secretary for Housing, Mr. J. A. Lee, M.P., said that only a. jerrybuilder or somebody with no knowledge of the building trade could make such a statement. “Already plans for 400 houses have been completed, every one of which is different from the rest. Probably before the end of the year there would be 250 more completed plans, and in no instance will two of the 650 be the same,” Mr. Lee said. This, he added, was such a stupendous task that, far from showing any “procrastination” it showed that the technical assistants available to the department had achieved a result, that was almost, unprecedented in any housing scheme for speed and variation. Technical experts who had been confronted by the evidence of this achievement had expressed themselves as astounded by the progress which had been achieved by the Department of House Construction since Mr. A. Tindall took charge a. few weeks ago. More than 100,000 sets of • plans and bills of quantities would be necessary to give everybody an opportunity of tendering, and the whole of this work was within sight of completion. “It has been suggested that the State Advances Corporation is slacking up in advances because it. is waiting to see the result of the Government housing policy.” Mr. Lee said. “The contrary is true. The State Advances Corporation, if anything, is extending greater accommodation to smaller builders so that there will be no period of building unemployment before the commencement .of the housing scheme.” Asked whether he thought there was any likelihood of local bodies taking advantage of the offer of cheap money, Mr. Lee said preliminary enquiries led him to believe that the Government offer was going to be exceedingly popular. There already was evidence that from 20 to 30 local bodies were seriously considering applying for loans, and waiting only for the procedure to be sent to them.”