LACK OF TILES KEEPS 26 HOMES UNOCCUPIED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22587, 16 March 1948, Page 4

LACK OF TILES KEEPS 26 HOMES UNOCCUPIED

HOUSES DETERIORATE

Roofing materials, baths and joinery have had a serious slowing down effect on the completion of State houses because of shortages in supply in Gisborne.

Carpentry trainees, sorely feeling the effects of shortages of this kind, reported on the situation to a quarterly meeting of the Gisborne Returned Servicemen's Association in the Bon Accord rooms last night and certain recommendations were made in an endeavour to rectify the position. It was learned that —

© Of the 31 houses started more than a year ago in the Lytton road trainees’ block five were completed and the

others were all awaiting tiles. © Because of deterioration and weathering, the trainees were employed on repair work to maintain the houses while awaiting roofing supplies.

© Despite the tile shortage in Gisborne, two Kiwis who had applied for rehabilitation aid to commence tile manufacture already had been delayed five months. They could be manufacturing within one month sufficient tiles to cover two houses a week. The machinery for the factory had been available in Wellington since November 5. © Twenty houses in the Adair Block had been held up for six months because there were no baths. Five

baths had been received recently. Finishing could not be completed until baths had been installed.

© Joinery for the buildings was slow in coming to hand and there was a need for a trainees’ joinery school. © The instructional staff had no author-

ity to get materials by any direct method. Requisitions for materials had to pass through the rehabilitation office, State Advances Corporation, and Works Department, being referred to Napier and then to Wellington before approval could be granted. That was holding up supplies and slowing down the completion of houses. Repair Work on Houses One trainee spokesman said that because of the lack of roofing 59 per cent of the trainees were engaged on repairs to deteriorated, incomplete buildings. They were not getting training in finishing work by the time they completed their period of instruction. The repair work was becoming monotonous. “People cycling backwards and forwards down Lytton road to work have commented that there is nobody working on the block and they are just about right, too, because we have nothing to work on,” he said. The use of iron and asbestos roofing was prohibited in town areas as it was required for rural housing, said another speaker. Town houses had to be roofed with tiles, Durox or aluminium sheeting. The president, Mr. J. Leggat, said inquiries would be made through the association to see’what progress had been made with the application of the two Kiwis in regard to tile manufacture. Central Depot Needed It was recommended that the instructional side of the Rehabilitation Department be given more direct authority in the purchase of materials. The need for a central depot in Gisborne was put forward as a possible solution to the difficult supply position. It was stated that Gisborne was the fifth largest trainee insrtuctional area in the Dominion, larger than Napier, and yet control was exercised by the Napier office.