STATE HOUSES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25455, 9 February 1944, Page 2

STATE HOUSES

WELLINGTON’S URGENT NEED THE DEMAND FOR LABOUR (P A,) WELLINGTON, Feb. G. Th° severity of the housing shortage in Wellington and the demand for State dwellings are shown by official figures which were made available today by the Minister of Works, Mr R. Semple. He said that there were 83G1 Wellington applicants on the waiting list for these houses, and he added that contracts had been let for an additional 800 houses in the Wellington area. . . “ Some misapprehension seems to exist regarding the request for more labour to build houses in the Wellington district,” said the Minister when questioned on the subject. “In the first place, I would like to emphasise that the request is not for 350 carpenters. ' It is desired that the increased labour force shall be a properly-bal-anced one containing allied skilled tradesmen such as plumbers, electricians, bricklayers, plasterers, drainlaye'rs. and some skilled builders’ labourers. Moreover, the appeal has not been confined to any particular district or districts. It was addressed through the New Zealand Builders’ Federation to builders generally throughout the Dominion, and if the number of men required is forthcoming on a pro rata basis there will be no hardship imposed on any one town or locality. It is certainly not the intention to denude any one area of building labour. The Factor of Urgency The Mayor of Christchurch had suggested that the South Island had suffered in comparison with the North Island in the matter of the number of houses erected, Mr Semple said, and had made his comparison on a population basis. Surely consideration had to be given to the urgency of the situation in the respective districts. Official figures showed that up to December 31 last 1530 houses had been built and handed over to tenants in Christchurch, leaving 2189 approved applicants waiting for homes, and contracts had been arranged or were in hand for an additional 205 units in that city. In Wellington to the same date, while 2819 houses had been built and handdd over. 8861 applicants were awaiting accommodation. Contracts had been let for an additional 800 houses in the Wellington area. It would be seen from these figures that the number of applicants waiting for houses in Wellington was four times the number waiting in Christchurch. Mr Semple added that the proposal to transfer labour to Wellington was purely a matter of expediency. It was only for a limited term, and this course was necessary to overcome the very acute housing a,id building problem generally in Wellington. A National Standpoint “ It is understandable,” said the Minister, “ that the Mayor of Christchurch should advocate the claims of Christchurch for increased houses, but, as Minister of Works, I must view the matter from a national standpoint and ensure that the limited supplies of labour and materials are utilised where the need is greatest at the moment.” Mr Semple concluded by stating that there had already been a satisfactory response to the request for additional labourin Wellington and that there was every possibility that there would be no necessity to direct any man to Wellington to meet the present demand.