CHEAPER BUILDING

Southland Times, Issue 18932, 4 May 1923, Page 4

CHEAPER BUILDING

MATERIAL AND LABOUR DOW ACTIVITY LN CHRISTCHURCH / (Special to the Times.) CHRISTCHURCH, May 3. “To-day a wooden building can be erected for about 20 per cent less than during the boom period about two years ago,” said a well-known builder when interviewed today with regard to building costs. He added that this was due to an all-rounc decrease in prices of building material and also to the reduction in wages, as ordered by ( the Arbitration Court. The buildei adried that business was fairly brisk in the trade in Christchurch. At present a number of large buildings were being erected in the city itself and besides a large numbei of houses were being built in the suburbs As far as he knew there were no skilled men connected with the building trade out of work at present, but the supply of skilled labour was sufficient to meet the demand and no buildings were being held I up on account of any shortage of skilled workers. Questioned with regard to the supply and price of timber, the builder said that ordinary building timber, known in the trade as 0.8., was cheaper to-day than at any time during the past five years. Unless the sectional charges were abolished he did not think there would be any reduction in the price of timber from the West Coast when the Otira tunnel was opened. There was every indication that at least two sectional charges on timber from the West Coast would be made permanent. The first section would be from the mills to Otira and the second from Otira to Christchurch. These sectional charges appeared to be justifiable because three different engines would have to be used in bringing a train from.the West Coast to Christchurch. Personally he did not think that any reduction in the price of timber could be expected on account of the opening of the Otira tunnel. The price of bricks, was governed largely by the cost of unskilled labour, and coal.. Bricks had been reduced in proportion to the reduction in wages. Unless the cost of unskilled labour and coal was lowered, and there seemed to be no immediate prospect of this, no further reduction in the price of bricks could be looked for. All classes of builders’ hardware- and ironmongery were much cheaper than they were two years ago, but they had been informed by merchants that the latest indications were for slightly increased prices. Cement was now very plentiful and this article had been reduced in proportion more than any other building material that was produced in the Dominion.