MORE STATE HOUSES

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 55, Issue 3977, 12 November 1937, Page 5

MORE STATE HOUSES

SCHEME FOR HAMILTON. Further tenders for the erection of State houses in Hamilton are advertised for an additional 29 houses at Forest Lake. Good progress is being made with the erection of the State houses in Norton Road, and four or five of them will be completed early in the new year. Altogether 22 houses are to be erected on the Norton Road area. In the Forest Lake area the 29 houses are to be built in Forest Lake Road, Matai Street, Hinau Street and Carey Avenue. The tenders call for the erection of 23 single unit houses and three two unit houses in six different contracts. Besides these 51 houses there is a scheme for the establishment of a garden suburb in Hayes Paddock when about 160 houses will be erected. Nothing further has been announced about this area, but if tlie scheme eventuates tlie building of approximately 200 new houses by the State as well as the great amount of private building in progress should consider ably alleviate the acute housing short age in Hamilton. TENDERS TOO HIGH. The fact that tenders have now been advertised by the Housing Construction Department for the erection ol more than 2000 houses in various parts of New Zealand was mentioned in an interview in Wellington by Mr J. A. Lee, Parliamentary Under Secretary in charge of housing. Mr Lee also stated that since the inception of the scheme tenders have been let for the construction of 1500 houses, many of which have been built or are in the course of erection. “Unsatisfactory tenders in some of the smaller towns have retarded progress to a minor extent,” Mr Lee added, “but difficulties of this nature are being rapidly overcome with the growing recognition on the part of the small builder that the Government’s scheme holds out very real advantages.” HELP FOR POWER BOARD EMPLOYEES. HOUSING LEGISLATION .PENDING. Advice was received at the meeting of the Central Waikato Electric Power Board on Wednesday from the Parliamentary Under Secretary, Mr J. A. Lee, through the Electric Power Boards’ and Supply Authorities’ Association, to the effect that legislation will shortly be passed enabling power boards to erect houses for employees with 3 per cent money, without a previous poll of the ratepayers. It was suggested that such legislation would enable power authorities to house employees at the points most suitable for the economic working of power areas. Commenting on the projected legislation, Mr J. J. Ryburn stated that it was strange that assistance should be forthcoming in this direction when the Minister of Finance found it beyond his power to assist in the raising of part of the special loan, 1936, which was necessary to the efficient administration of the board’s services.