POSITION IN OAMARU

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25457, 11 February 1944, Page 2

POSITION IN OAMARU

SUPPORT FOR PROTESTS (Special) OAMARU, Feb. 10. At the meeting of the Oamaru Borough Council to-night the concentration of building activities in the North Island at' the expense of the South was strongly criticised, and it was decided to support the stand taken in the matter by the Mayors of Christchurch and Dunedin. The Mayor (Mr J, C. Kirkness) was congratulated on his efforts in securing for Oamaru builders an opportunity to submit prices for prefabricated buildings, which was denied to them last November. The council agreed to urge all South Island local bodies to endeavour to have building work redistributed throughout the whole of the country. The Mayor said that carpenters were protesting against being transferred to Wellington. As long as he held office he would fight for Oamaru’s rights. Cr W. R. Williams said that all they asked was British justice. Cr G. E. Glen expressed disappointment at a special committee’s recommendation concerning building sites for rehabilitation purposes. He said he considered that steps should be taken in Oamaru as soon as possible so that building could be proceeded with as materials became available. The committee's recommendation to defer the question for six months was adopted. The Mayor reported that, in addition to the State houses at present being constructed in Oamaru, only 10 had been allocated to the town in the meantime. There had never been more applications for houses than at present. The council decided to approach th* Housing Department requesting that pensioners* flats be built in Oamaru.