Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, THURSDAY, OCT. 22, 1936. THE HOUSING PLAN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19152, 22 October 1936, Page 4

Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, THURSDAY, OCT. 22, 1936. THE HOUSING PLAN

It is apparent from reports that have been issued that the newlycreated Ministry of Housing intends

losing no time in inaugurating its comprehensive home-building scheme, but there is little evidence to suggest that the proposals have received the i':ir-si"'hted consideration that is essential if another disastrous ex-

periment in Stale enterprise is to be

avoided. Having made all the preparation.'' for an early start with it.' building programme, the department now announces, for example, that it intends to conduct a housing survey throughout the country. Common sense sorely dictates that such a survey should precede the actual eon traction work instead of following it for once hundreds of homes ha\e been built it will not he possible to rectify errors that might be disclosed by th< investigation. It is stated that, as a start., the Government proposes shortly to invite tenders for the erection of something like 400 homes in the distant suburbs of Wellington, and that similar action is contemplated at Auckland. The work in connection with these two schemes is expected to facilitate the preparation' of plans for Christchurch and Dunedin. The anxiety of the Government to secure early results from its policy is understandable, even though it may not be so easily defensible, but it is difficult to excuse the decision to concentrate its early activities in. the two centres which already are the most over-populated and where homes can be erected only in localities where tiie occupants will be heavily mulcted in transport costs. It is doubtlessly true that, the greatest housing shortage exists in the main centres, blit the most economic remedy would be to create conditions which would result, in the transference of population, and this, especially in view of the new Industries Bill, would not be a com plicated task. There are ninny sparsely-settled parts of the Dominion where industries could be located and townships built around them, making it possible for workers to live in proximity to their employment and greatly reduce some of the heavy costs attendant, upon residence in the citv. The housing legislation provides a wonderful opportunity for development in this direction, and the first aim of the department should he,

not to encourage' the existing congregation in u few cities, but more evenly to distribute the population by providing amenities in as many different localities ns possible. The difficulty, perhaps, is that no fewer I linn sixteen members of the Government party, seven of them holding Ministerial office, have to satisfy constituents in either Auckland or Wellington,

Anolher important, point which would bo revealed by a careful survey of the position would he the extent to which housing activity could justifiably be maintained. At the present time there is admittedly a shortage, but it is doubtful whether it is really wise to endeavour to overcome this in one great burst of activity. To do so would mean to provide temporary work for a vast number of men in the building industry—R has boon officially stated, indeed, that artisans from overseas would be encouraged to come lo the Dominion—but what is going to happen to these skilled workers when the programme is completed? There is a limit to the number of houses that can be erected at the contemplated rate and when that limit has been reached there will be an inevitable slump in the building industry. A more prudent course would lie accurately to estimate the number of homes required over a long period of vears and then to adopt and maintain a regular annual programme, accelerating or decelerating the State activity to compensate for fluctuations in private enterprise. Only in this way will boom and slump conditions lie avoided. Bound up with this

aspect, of course, is the trend of population and other aspects of Government policy. If the birth rate continues to decline at the present alarming rate, if more people go on leaving the country instead of entering it, and if the Government persists in its policy of discouraging immigration the whole aspect for the future will be altered and its reactions on the housing question must be considered.

Finally, there is the question of cost. The present scheme, it is understood, is to meet the needs of those people who are unable to provide their own homes, and who, presumably, will not be able to afford high rents. It has been stated that the homes which the department has in mind cannot be built for less than £BOO. Sections in the most highly-valued areas in the country cannot be assessed at much iess than £2OO each, unless they are to be very small. This means that the total cost of a home will amount to approximately £IOOO. To cover this cost, even allowing for interest tit tiie lowest rate, will entail a rent of 30s a week, unless the taxpayers and those who have been provident enough ;n obtain their own homes are to be called upon lo assist the more needy or less thrifty. Nor is the high rent the only disadvantage. In each of I lie localities where a start is lo be made the weekly tram, Ims, or train fare cannot lie much loss than 6s for each individual, and this will mean a substantial added charge on those least able to afford it. This point, perhaps more than any other, emphasises the urgent need for :■ thorough investigation being made before, instead of after, the Government ’s programme is put into operation.