8000TH STATE HOUSE

Southland Times, Issue 23992, 6 December 1939, Page 6

8000TH STATE HOUSE

Foundations Will Be Laid Soon

SCHEME REVIEWED BY MINISTER

(United Press Association) AUCKLAND, December 5.

“To date we have called tenders for 10,000 houses and this week my department will lay the foundations of the 8000th house,” stated the Minister of Housing (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong) reviewing the Government’s housing scheme. Already 5300 houses had been completed throughout the Dominion and approximately 3000 more were in various stages of building. Referring to Auckland and its suburbs, the Minister said the demand for houses appeared to be unceasing. More than 7000 applications were in the hands of his department and a similar number of applications had been received for houses in Wellington and its suburbs.

“Progress is determined by the number of skilled men available,” said the Minister. “We have 3500 artisans on various jobs now and about 2000 unskilled men. We are approximately 500 skilled men short of the normal number employed because of military construction work, 800 of the 1300 men transferred having finished the work they were allotted at the various camps.” When the houses have reached 10,000 for the Dominion, which would be some time next year, the accommodation provided would be, roughly speaking, for 45,000 persons.