17,522 Houses Built In New Zealand In Year

Northern Advocate, 14 June 1949, Page 4

17,522 Houses Built In New Zealand In Year

NEWS IN BRIEF . . .

Of the 17,522 houses completed in the year ended March 31, Auckland, with 4742, had by far the largest numher* The district with the second largest total was Hamilton, with 2782 houses. Other centres in order of numbers were:— Christchurch, 2455; Palmerston North, 2179; Wellington, 2125; Dunedin, 1489; Napier, 1015; Nelson, 735. These figures were mentioned by the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) in an address given to the Brooklyn branch ,of the Labour Party last night. M[r Fraser claimed that the record number of houses built in the year was a complete justification of the building controls which were introduced by the Government to secure the maximum effect of labour and materials for the building of homes, It was a fine achievement and a tribute to the Government, the Housing Department and the industries which contributed to the housing effort. Of the 17,522 new houses, 10,162 were built by private finance, and 7360 were built either directly by the state or financed by State Advahces loans. is » * *

The reserves of water stored in Lake Taupo and Waikaremoana for the main hydro-electric stations, continue to increase. Lake Taupo yesterday was only 15 inches below the maximum level of control after a rainfall of o,7in. in the previous 24 hours. This was a gain of sin over last Monday and was well over a foot higher that at this time last year. Waikaremoana had about a foot more water than last week, and was nearly 4ft higher than a year ago. * * • * Although a slight easing of the labour position in New Zealand had been apparent over the last year, there was still plenty of employment offering throughout the Dominion, said the Secretary of Labour (Mr H. L. Bockett). He said that while the number of vacancies notified to district offices of the Department of Labour and Employment had dropped from 24,522 at the end of May, 1948, to 19,843 at the end of last month, there was still no difficulty in finding employment for both male and female workers. V 9 * * Losing his footing while climbing the eastern slopes of Mt Egmont, Mr Robin Hume, aged 22, of Wanganui, slid for 500 "feet down an ice-covered scoria face, but escaped with shock and abrasions to his back and hands. With a companion, Mr Ronald Howard, of Wanganui, Mr Hume had climbed above the snowline when he slipped. Seeing his predicament, a member of the Stratford Mountain Club, Mr R. Stokes, who was lower down the slope, tried to intercept him, but he was sliding too fast. Mr Hume, who was suffering from exposure, reached the Manganui Hut after darkness had fallen. Members of the Stratford Mountain Club gave him first aid and

he was taken down to the Stratford mountain house for medical treatment. N :t O * * When the Port Waikato sailed from Lyttelton today for the Chatham Islands on her last trip until October, she had as passenger Dr Wilfred Lawrence, F.R.C.S. (Edinburgh), who is going to take up an appointment as medical officer in the islands in place of Dr D. J. Patterson. Dr Patterson, who first went to the islands in May, 1947, and returned there in October of that year after several months’ sick leave, resigned recently and will return in the Port Waikato.