BUILDING COSTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24749, 24 November 1943, Page 4

BUILDING COSTS

FIGURES DISI'UTED HIGHER PRICES QUOTED Statements made by a supervisor of the State Advances Corporation to the Auckland Urbap Land Sales Committee on Monday concerning the basic cost to-day of house building were disputed yesterday by representative architects and builders. The supervisor quoted the cost of building a house of from 1000 to 1100 square feet at 24s a foot, and mentioned a hip bungalow on a brick foundation, and of brick veneer with a tiled roof, that had cost 25s .'id a foot. The chairman of the Auckland branch of the Institute of Architects, Mr. R. G. Beatson, stiid: "It is not disputed that some houses may be erected at a cost of 2<ls or 25s 3d a square foot, but we cannot help feeling that those for whom such a house was built would be peculiarly fortunate. The contract prices of two or three individual houses, which, as they are now being completed, must have been fixed at least several months ago, cannot be accepted as evidence that tenders can be obtained at that price to-day. In fact, several architects recently have obtained prices for small houses of simple type varying from 32s to 35s a square foot. Where the are beyond the simplest type prices may easily reach H2 or even more. "Statements such as those made on Monday can he of value only when accompanied by complete information," said the secretary of the Auckland Master Builders' Association, Mr. H. M. Clark, last night, giving the builders' viewpoint. "It is apparent to us that the figures quoted are from pre-war records, and to quote values per foot without reference to the specification is equivalent to quoting a dress at so much per yard without referring to the quality of the material or workmanship."

DEHYDRATED FOODS VALUE NOT IMPAIRED Dehydrated foods were in practically every case equal to the fresh articles and the modern methods of processing them in no way affected food values, stated Professor R. H. A. Plimmer in a recent lecture at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical, Medicine. He is a member of the, consultative scientific council of the Food Education Societv in Britain.

In the case of vegetables, they might actually be better than those which had been stored, .Professor Plimmer safd. Dried milk, when reconstituted with water, would in practically every respect he equal to fresh milk of the same standard. He said that under the present system of rationing in Britain there was sufficient food available for the needs of the people. Pointing out that weight should he kept constant, he said it was a fallacy to think that "middle-age spread" was inevitable. Increasing weight was generally an indication that more calories were being consumed than the body required. Professor Plimmer attributed the improved health of the people largely to the introduction of the national loaf and the greater consumption of vegetables. Tomatoes provided one of the best wartime sources of vitamin 0 and cheese was one of the best foods that could be eaten. When new. potatoes contained much more vitamin C than when' they were old. Housewives should not use children's rations of meat and dairy produce to augment the diet of adult members of the family. The growing child was in greater need of these foods than the adult.

DEALING WITH FRUIT NEW PLANT AT MOTUEKA (0.C.) NELSON, Tuesday A fruit dehydration plant for the Nelson district is to be established at .Motueka, a site of nine acres having been obtained adjacent to Thompson and Hills' canning factory. It is expected that the plant will bo working in March next in time for the apple season. The production target is 150,000 bushels in a season with three shifts a day, but probably only one shift will operate for the first season. Vegetables will not be processed at first but it is expected that a unit for this purpose will be added.