HOUSE BUILDING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23558, 22 July 1938, Page 14

HOUSE BUILDING

WEAKNESSES OF STATE SCHEME MR HAMILTON’S CRITICISM BUILDING SOCIETY METHOD COMMENDED iFeom Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, July 21. Advantages of the building society method of encouraging house building were pointed out by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr A. Hamilton) in opening the financial debate in the House of Representatives to-night. The Government’s housing scheme, he said, was tending to intensify the drift from the country to the cities and towns. At the outset the Government wao going to perform miracles in connection with its housing scheme. Mr Hamilton said. The Minister of Finance had stated in his 1936 Budget that the Government was. going to build 5000 houses at £6OO each. It would be interesting to know how many had been built at that price. The Minister of Labour had also talked about houses being let at rentals ranging from 12s 6d to 16s 6d a week. Everyone would like to know where the houses could be obtained at those rentals Mr Hamilton said the average annual number of permits in 10 years of private enterprise from 1922 to 1930 was 5750. In 1927, the peak year, the number was 7179. In the year 1935-3 C the number of permits was 4140 One Minister had expressed the hope that the Government would have 900 houses erected before March 31, 1937, but actually not one was finished by that date. In 1936-37 permits were issued, or only 415 more than the previous year. The permits for 1937-38 totalled 4870, an increase of 325 over the year before. “ The Government has pushed up building costs,’’ said Mr Hamilton, “ private enterprise has been throttled and the Government’s scheme has not panned out to be the wonderful scheme that was expected of it.” The Minister of Education (Mr P. Fraser): The best in the world. The Government, Mr Hamilton said, said that skilled labour was not available, but it would be interesting to know how many experienced tradesmen were engaged on public works and in other than their own occupations. The building society scheme should be encouraged for it was one of the best for collecting money and providing finance for those people who wished to build their own homes. Houses in Wellington had been financed by the Southland Building Society. The Government was buildingin the towns and cities, and this was attracting people away from the country. '