JERRY-BUILDING EVIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15004, 28 May 1912, Page 5

JERRY-BUILDING EVIL.

CONDEMNED AT GREY LYNN

A MINIMUM SPECIFICATION,

A discussion on the prevalence of jerrybuilding took place at the meeting of the Grey Lynn Borough Council last evening. This arose out of the building surveyor's report staling that during the past six weeks 25 permits had been issued for the erection of new dwellings in tho borough, the total contract price of same being £10,200. For the same period last year nine permits were issued for the erection of new buildings at a cost of £3600. Mr. F. Brinsden said that it was an absolute disgrace the way many houses were being erected by unscrupulous speculative builders. The time had arrived to protect those who were not able to protect themselves. Women were the chief persons taken in by the jerry-builder. They paid a small deposit, say, £20, in order to buy a new home. The house looked well on. the outside with its fresh coat of paint, and tho paper inside also covered up the delects of the building. After awhile, however, the unfortunate "purchaser would find that the house wns rotten. "It is the duty of the Council," he said, "to put a stop to this state of things." He moved, as a remedy, that the Streets Committee draw up a specification minimum for houses to bo erected in the borough. Mr. Brinsden added that it was no exaggeration to say that if the scaffolding of some of the houses' was removed before the building was quite completed some of tho walls would come down. No doubt there were honest speculative builders, but the unfortunate thing was that many people could not understand why £50 more should be asked for a house that was to all appearances similar to another for sale at a cheaper price. Mr. T. L. Thompson seconded the motion, and said that many of the houses were nothing more than candle boxes. They were simply awful. Mr. G. J. Garland said that he had thought for quite a long time that something should be done to protect buyers of houses. The method of dealing with the difficulty as proposed in the motion was a good one. The building inspector would seo that such specifications were carried out. The Mayor (Mr. G. Baildon) said that the motion was a step in the right direction. Ivir. C. Norgrove said he could ondorse all tHpt had been said about the frail and rotten nature of a number of the houses. The mboion was carried unanimously.