DEFENCE BUILDING

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24250, 16 April 1942, Page 6

DEFENCE BUILDING

Effect on housing SUSPENSION OF CONTRACTS RESUMPTION INTENDED LATER (P.A.) WELLINGTON. -Wednesday In a statement regarding the defence building programme, the Minister of Housing, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, said that, with the decision to appoint Mr. James Fletcher as Commissioner of Defence Construction he was given the assistance of the major construction departments of the State —the Public Works and Housing Departments. With the entry of Japan into the war it became necessary to co-ordinate the requirements not only of the Navy, Army and Air Force, but also of civil defence. This entailed making available, both the resources of the Housing Department and labour engaged in private building. Naturally, this created a tremendous upheaval in the building industry. Builders, merchants, manufacturers and all employees affected had cooperated most readily and the result, the Minister said, was satisfactory. As at present viewed, the defence building programme should not take a particularly long time to complete, he added, but this could only be decided by the progress of the war. All of the Housing Department's contracts were being suspended, rather than terminated. The contractors were being paid in full for work done, except for the retention of 5 per cent, the object being that thuy and their men would be readily reinstated in their jobs as soon as the defence work was completed or if, for any reason, there was likely to be any loss of time between the completion of one job and the commencement of the next. The people could be assured, the Minister concluded, that next to the war effort, the building of homes was regarded as essential by the Government and the State housing programme would be pursued with all possible vigour as soon as the way was clear.