HOUSING PROBLEM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26177, 13 June 1946, Page 6

HOUSING PROBLEM

SHORTAGE OF MATERIALS GOVERNMENT BLAMED The opinion that the housing shortage could be alleviated if the Government would tackle the matter in a realistic manner is expressed by a correspondent, “ Wallboards.” “ Importers can' provide many instances," the correspondent says, “ of the stupidity of Cabinet Ministers who have, during the past year, refused to grant import licences for essential building materials. One of the leading importers of building materials provides some outstanding examples of the failure of the Government to provide import licences for urgently required building materials when they were available. “ On August 10, 1945, a large Swedish manufacturer of hardboard, supplies of which were urgently required here, cabled an offer of 200,000 ft for monthly shipment commencing in September, 1945. Direct shipping opportunities to New Zealand were available, and the manufacturers were prepared to accept payment in sterling. The matter was taken up with the Minister of Customs, who finally telegraphed on November 12 stating that it was regretted that a licence could not be granted as it was anticipated that supplies of locally-pro-duced board would be available within a short period. The Minister should have known that there was no possibility of hardboard being produced in New Zealand for many months, and now, even six months later, only small quantities of locally-produced hardboard are available for special work. “One of the largest manufacturers of wallboard in the United States, who, prior to the introduction of the Import Control Regulations, 1938, shipped millions of feet of wallboard to New Zealand, offered in October last,” the correspondent continues, “ 500,000 ft of wallboard for spread shipment from January onwards. An application for an import licence was lodged on October 12, and a telegram was received on November 6 stating that an import licence would not be issued. “Again, on February 5, 1946, the same American manufacturers wrote advising their New Zealand agents that the New Zealand Supply Mission, Washington, had approached them for supplies, and as a result they were prepared to make a new offer of further supplies of their world-famous wallboard. An application for a licence was relodged with the Government on March 29, and negotiations are still being pursued, but it appears impossible to attain finality Consistent with the usual practice, the Government has pursued its procrastinating attitude towards this matter, with the result that the chance of securing very desirable supplies of essential building materials will probably now be lost to this market. Every day some statement appears in the press respecting the privations of the man-in-the-street owing to the shortage of living accommodation, yet the Government which hoodwinked the public into believing that it is doing the best for its supporters is refusing to take action which would result in some relief being given to the present building crisis. “ Importers throughout New Zealand,” the correspondent adds, “could multiply similar instances of the loss of urgently required building materials through the Government’s failure to grant import licences.”