LOANS FOR DWELLINGS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18771, 26 July 1924, Page 10

LOANS FOR DWELLINGS

CURRENT YEAR'S ADVANCES. SUM OF £3,500,000 AVAJLABLE OUTSTANDING APPUCATIONS. LEEWAY BEING OVERTAKEN, fBT TELEGBAPH.—-SfECIAL BEPOBTBB.] ■"'■'•/ " .^LLESr(^TON.VFriday,;' : /' A vigorous defence of the Government's advances policy in the relief of the hous-Z ing problem was delivered in the House of Representatives to-day by the Prime .Minister. He also quoted figures to show that building costs were falling, t A sum of £3,500,000 would be available for ad vances ;in the current year. But Mr. Massey said he would be careful to release funds at a rate that would not/permit of ja building boom, 'in which costs' of labour and material would be inflated, j Opponents had declared that nothing \ had been done by the Government i to relieve the housing problem, said Mr. Massey. Such statements were refuted: by figures appearing in the Budget show- ■ ing that in the last five years the Govern- j ment had assisted to build 13,459 houses, :l and to this end had lent no less than j £18,720,000. r That is a record to look I back upon with pride," he declared; "I | have seeja what has taken place in other I countries, imd -there has been nothing better, nothing that we could copy to advantage —except in regard to price. But prices in New Zealand are lower. Thijy have fallen very considerably compared with three or four years ago. The Auckland City, Council has built 60 handsome" dwellings" of five rooms and in permanent material for £770 each, to which has to be added the cost of the section, at £200. The tenant pays 25s a week rent, which includes sinking fund." , The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Wiiford: That is still too high. A Great Improvement. Mr. Massey: Yes, 1 )! but it is si tremendous improvement: on ai ; few yeara ago, when such houses could|/?iot have been built under £1000. I/hive particulars of a five-roomed dwelli/jg built at Karori, Wellington, for £685:/ and the rent, including sinking fund, is 17s 6d a week. It is the same elsewhere—an all-round reduction of costs. '~,■ A few months sigo, continued Mr. /Mas-. seyi a sort of building boom set in. Pricas of timber and sections advanced - owing to heavy borrowing from the Advances Department. That was not a good thing. He was - anxious that materials should be supplied a k the lowest possible cost, so that rents could bo made as cheap as possible. Some houses could be got cheaply where his home was supposed to' be. Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central): How much? .■-.'•" Seven and Sls:pence A Week. . Mr. Massey: Rents of 7s 6d»a week. In Westport I believe houses can be rented cheaply. Wellington is still very bad, but the position in Auckland has improved./-'. ;:'"', : Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) dissented.! . Mr. Maiisey offered to quote figures. A total of 1610 houses were,, built in Auckland last/ year; as against" only 632 m Welilingtoh. '".■'."■; '~.,, Mr. Parry: The cost of the total building per head of population was £8 7s in Auckland, against £10 12s in Wellington:/ ■':'"-.'■'' . li ■ , :•;■;,: Mir Massey: In Auckland at all events the shortage is being overcome. In Weilington it is not. , vMft Fraser: The Government Statistician's figures show that it is not. '- Mif. Massey. The head of the Advances Department reports that we aro making up leeway .in the country as a whole. 1 Although we must hot create a boom • there is plenty of money for advances. Mr. S. G. Smith (Taranaki): , Some districts aire being cut out.. Money Being Distributed.' ' Mr.-'Massey: As to that I have a report giving all the details you require. It.gives details of the advances in different districts and the distribution fieema toihave been a fair one. Naturally Auckland ha 3 ' cot the largest share, because a third of the Dominion's population is in the provincial district. Loena are not going to atop. There is at least three and a-half millions in sight for this yearls applicants. . ' ji v•■ ,_■■ '■■■■.■;■ A Labour Member: How far oil! is this money that has been sighted ? Mr. Massey: It is here. Mr. F- Bartram (Grey Lynn): It is another question whether the applicants ' £re o;oinqr to get it. , :Mr. Massey: Tliey are getting it every day and every hour. Mr. Bartram: Mine are not. Mr. Massey: Within i the last three C months we have advanced over a million ■ of. money.,-'. Mr. Wiiford : What about.the outstanding applications?- '■;.: ' ' Mr. Mass6y: They have/been reduced i ty nine-tenths. The department is catch-/ 1 ing up rapidly. Not a great, many appli- ' cations of last September atld October are outstanding. The urgent /cases are re- - ceiving preference. Too much pressure i has been brought to bear on the depart- ' ment in the~ past by politicirns, but that i is better now. We are anxious to do our i duty by the different,classes and districts. " We shidl go on steadily and quietly and i gradually supply the demands. j .... iiwiiillti .mi i mm,..i.— ,— 1. ;; " . ;. . '-.: : ■. ;■..■.'.'■' ''■'