HOUSING

Hokitika Guardian, 10 July 1940, Page 3

HOUSING

PROGRAMME FOR YEAR. (Per Press Association —Copyright) WELLINGTON, July. 9. “We , hope to -build 4000' houses during the- your, which ext'et’dsi last year’s total,” said the Minister of, Housing, lion. 11. T. Armstrong, i[n an interview, this evening. i‘ :: ii “The reason why ■ I think that we can 'builch l more houses this year is. that the Governmentwill give preference tohousing'Construction, ’and if there.-is‘to; -bo any easing off, ‘it will be in of her, ■ classes of ; Government building.” ’ Mr Armstrongisaid that the Housing . Department' had planned to use the. services of every builder and' every skilled, artisan that it could get, pro- , yided that tit could obtain'materials with which they could work; There was 1 a sum of £4,000,000 provided in the Estimates. This was because the Department did not expect to-be able

•to find labour on jnatdrial to involve a greater expenditure than this. • ‘‘We set out to build SQQO houses a year; but we have been unable to get. men and materials,” the Minister continued “The war gave us a serious setback, because hundreds of men were heeded for the Defence buildings, and now it is'additions to hospitals that are taking 'men from housing. I am asking the Minister of National Service," that if men are to "be taken away from housing construction, they should not be taken from Auckland or Wellington. Auckland has been able to get more builders'and artisans than, Wellington. This 'perhaps, is because of the climatic conditions, with the result that Auckland has very nearly one third of its houses already" completed.”