KAILWAY HOUSING

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 97, 24 March 1926, Page 7

KAILWAY HOUSING

THE MILSON SUBURB

OVER 30 DWELLINGS ERECTED

Of the 65 houses which aro to be constructed by tho Railway Department for the housing of its employees at the now suburb of Milson, over 30 have already been erected and the work is still proceeding apace. It is the intention of the department, it is stated, to continue the constructional scheme on the present lines until the full quota is made available. The broad outlmeg of the scheme have been detailed in the “Standard” on previous occasions. The houses, are all factory cut at Frankton by the department’s plant there and railed to Terrace End, where they aro taken over by the contractors for tho erection of different groups and speedily assembled according to plan. The department, however, is itself assembling houses in somo of the groups. The roofs, gables and porches, as stated in a previous articlo, are of varying design in order to conform with the modern ideas of town planning and to avoid the drab similarity which, in past years, was wont to characterise any block of residences erected bv one enterprise. The new suburb of Milson, therefore, will be quite an attractive residential quarter of tho town. ROADING, LIGHT AND WATER.

The settlement is, roughly speaking, in tho form of a square on the southwestern side of Milson’s lino and will lie close to tho route of tho new railway on the side furthest from * the town. At right angles off Milson’s line is a now roadway Hanked along either side with some 15 of the dwellings already erected, and others are assembled on sido streets a few chains away from tho main entrance. Tho formation hereabouts is heavy clay and, although tho roughly formed roads have received a surfacing of metal, they make heavy going for the many vehicles conveying timber and general supplies to the block. This morning one heavily laden horse-drawn timber waggon had somo difficulty in negotiating the track and attained its objective in short spurts, tho uso of a spado at times being necessary to free tlio wheels. Road-making plant is at work putting things right before the winter sets in and it is expected that the side streets' will bo in fair order in a month or so. The formation of the footpaths has not yet been attempted. Quite a “town” air is lent by the rows of electric lights poles> and the current is already connected to several of tho dwellings. The water servico has been oxtonded to tho block for some time past and the only municipal servico now required is sewerage and that is under consideration.

Commercial enterprise has already made its appearance and a notice board on a section 'facing Alilson line, intimates that a grocer’s shop is to bo erected there.

A commencement lias been made with the construction of a picket fence on conventional line 3 along tho front of the houses facing the street from tho main road, and it is intended to proceed with this as the sections along the line are built upon. Tho finishing touches are being put to many of tli6 structures assembled some months ago, and papering and painting have been completed in some cases. So far, it is understood, none of the dwellings is occupied by local railwaymen, although some serve as temporary quarters for men engaged on the job. It will be only a very short while, however, before quite a number will be available for permanent occupation, the rental to railway servants being the. equivalent of a day’s wages, whatever a man receives. Having regard to this circumstance very cheap housing is afforded, and it is anticipated in well-informed quarters that applications for accommodation at the new settlement will exceed that available. COST OF HOUSES. Although definite information as to the cost to the department of these particular factory cut houses is not readily available, some of tho particulars in the last Railways Statement will be of interest. In connection with the house-building programme, of the department, the report states that during the year 300 five-roomed houses were cut at the Frankton Junction factory, of which 253 were erected at a total cost of £170,977 —an average cost of £674 for five-roomed dwellings and £972 for six-roomed houses. That included all factory and overhead, head charges, but. not the cost of land, roading, drainago, water supply and' such matters, which amounted to £B7 per liouso, bringing the total cost up to £761 and £1059 respectively. The quantity of timber used in cutting 300 houses was 3,600,000 superficial feet. MASS PRODUCTION. Since the inception of the department’s house construction scheme 477 houses have been built, states tho report, the number and average cost of five-roomed dwellings (such as those at Milson) being: Year 1920, one house erected, £971; 1921, 56 houses erected. £950; 1922, 95, £914; 1923, 19, £831; 1924, 42, £705; 1925, 252, £674; total, 465 houses at an avorago cost of £766. Of those houses, however, only those built in 1924-25 were factory cut, tho others having been erected by contract. The average additional cost to those figures for land, drainage, roading, etc., is, as stated, £B7 per house. Tho total cost of the department’s house building factory, including machinery, was £87,760. The department’s present prognamme, as outlined in the 1925 report, provides for the construction of 1500 houses, of which 477 have been built. RAPID PROGRESS.

The extremely rapid progress made with tho housing scheme at Milson commands the admiration of all who have interested themselves in it, and is an illustration of what oan be achieved along the lines of mass production. No information is available as to when a commencement will actually be made with the deviation of the line proper and with the construction of further buildings essential to the scheme. It is understood, however, that there have been somo alterations to tho original locality plan. Milson will remain a purely residential area, and as such promises to have much to commend it.