BETTER TIMES COMING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14144, 20 August 1909, Page 6

BETTER TIMES COMING.

BUILDING IN THE SUBURBS.

A. REVIVAL OF ACTIVITY.

Building operations in the suburbs, which, owing to the financial tightness and the prevalence of winter weather, have been slack during the past few weeks, show signs of a revival, and IT. is confidently anticipated that within tho next few weeks there will be fair activity, even if the volume of building is not as great as in former years. The permits issued by the various suburban local bodies have been on the increase during the past few weeks, and in some cases.they have reached what may be considered the average of previous seasons. Here, for instance, are figures taken from the permits book of the Mount Eden Borough Council -.—From January to March of this year, 25 building permits were issued, while from March 31 to date 50 have been authorised, as against 52 for the same period of last year. In April of this year only five permits were applied for, but. in May the number was 12, and, this figure has been maintained during the succeeding months. At the present time there arc 24 to 30 houses under construction in tho distinct, at a cost, on a low estimate, of £450 each. The highest estimate for which a permit has been issued during the last few months from the Borough Council oil!co was £800.

Figures supplied by other local bodies show that even where building is not as brisk as usual, it is reviving. About 50 permits have been issued by the Devonport Borough Council from the beginning of the year till date, 18 being up to March 31. These are permits for houses averaging about six rooms. Building operations at North Shore arc reported to be about the same as last year. In the Remuera Road Board's district about a dozen houses are under construction, while in the Mount Roskill road district six new houses have been authorised in the past threo months. Building in the Onetree Hill district is reported to be about, normal. Sixteen permits were issued from the beginning of the year to March 31. and the same number from March to date. In Epsom, however, building is not by any means as brisk as it was last year, and unless activity sets in, the number of houses built during 1909 will be considerably less than in 1908. Even here, there are indications that the tide has turned. From January to March 31, only seven permits were issued, but from March to date 14 have been authorised.