MINISTERIAL VISIT

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 58, Issue 4188, 24 May 1939, Page 7

MINISTERIAL VISIT

HOUSING SHORTAGE STRESSED. SEVERAL DEPUTATIONS. Opportunity was taken during the brief visit to Te Awamutu yesterday afternoon of the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, Minister in charge of the State Housing Department, and the Director 'of that Department, Mr A. Tyndall, to bring under notice the acute shortage of houses in Te Awamutu.

Mr W. S. Goosman, M.P. for Waikato, introduced the deputationlsts, first of whom were four local schoolmasters, newly appointed, Messrs W. G. Smith, A. Jeune, Stancliffe and Warring. Mr Smith said they were experiencing l difficulty in finding homes for their wives and families, and asked for the favourable consideration of applications for State houses now being built. The position in Te Awamutu was, in many respects, singular and extraordinary. Their own advent into Te Awamutu was due to the policy of schools consolidation. They understood another batch of State houses was to be allocated that day. The Minister said he and his fellow Ministers wanted to do the right thing in respect to allotting homes, but it was a difficult task to determine just who were most needy in that respect. In the large centres there were appalling conditions, while he was informed that in Te Awamutu there were families actually living in tents while awaiting allocations. In any case it would be some time before another batch of homes was ready for occupation. Te Awamutu was one inland centre that was growing very rapidly; but there were others similar situated. Actually the Department had received 55 applications for homes in Te Awamutu; 19 units had been completed, and 13 more are building or are to be built. It was intended to go' on building more, and in that connection he mentioned that a block of 41 acres had recently been acquired. But there was a difficulty in finding adequate labour to do the jobs. It was not ■ desirable to bring men from Auckland or other cities to work in Te Awamutu, for they could be provided with plenty of work in their own cities. .Perhaps there was a more urgent need there, too. He recalled that when tenders were invited for erecting homes in Te Awamutu no local tenders were received.. Mr W. J. Broadfoot, M.P., remarked that there had been and is, a heavy building programme all over the Te Awamutu district, and that had kept the builders busy. PREFERENCE? That is true, admitted the Minister, but if I said we would give four of the houses just completed in Te Awamutu to teachers what sort of a howl would there be? Others who had been waiting longer would feel aggrieved. Continuing, Mr Armstrong said some of the larger building schemes in tile cities had actually necessitated building schools for the children of occupants; for instance, Orakei. In parts of Auckland there were actually people living in collars and in tents. But he would give an undertaking that the individual cases of the school teachers in Te Awamutu would be considered carefully, and a decisionreached as soon as possible. ' ' .. Mr R. G. Connal, on behalf of the. Chamber of Commerce, urged the early completion of as. many houses in Te Awamutu as possible, for there was an unsatisfied demand that, would assuredly continue for a long time. Another' request, was that provision be made for the erection of a further block of houses in Te Awamutu. Despite the activities of the State and of private enterprise during the past, few years there was still no apparent alleviation of the demand. Population Increase within the borough was 470 from April, 1934 (1940), to April, 1938 (2410), and that increase was being maintained. The Power Board’s survey showed that in the past 12 months the new dwellings erected totalled 124. At present, continued the speaker, there are nine families practically permanently resident at the Selwyn Park motor camp, although the local authority had striven to .discourage the use of this camp for permanents. He could cite many instances of families sharing homes, living in improvised quarters, or domiciling thenfamilies with relatives or friends in other towns. Employers report difficulty in engaging labour'because of the house shortage, particularly where married men are affected. He added that recently, when it became known that a married postal employee was under transfer there were forty applications for the house within 49 hours. SEVENTEEN THOUSAND applications. The Minister said the problem. was a big one, and he mentioned that in the cities there were already 13,000 applications—and this, out of a total of 17,000 over the whole Dominion. There was, it seemed, not so great a demand in the South Island, but in the north the demand, was ever present. Such centres as Te Awamutu, Hamilton, Whangarei and Te Kuiti were growing very rapidly.. The Department had been giving all available contractors all the . work that they could handle, employing skilled artisans. Every construction plap was behind schedule time because Of the lack of skilled labour. Now it takes appreciably -longer to build a home than formerly, but the. houses are good substantial ones, and would last for many years. Referring to the congestion m me cities Mr Xrmstrong Said that it even no more applications were received for Wellington homes, it would take 15 years to supply the demand already existing In Auckland the position was not much better. The explanation was that' large buildings w«e.absorbing so much of the available lab our. No more men. were engaged in housing construction than' “ but lots more are employed on bus ness premises. Th V eSP «? J neotions under which thousands of peo pie in the cities are forced to live was fully realised, and endeavour was being made to relieve the situation. In the smaller towns the Department could absorb all local labour; the men had only to let it be known that they were available. His department

recognised the problem of finding homes and the justness of the representations made. In Te Awamutu there would be no avoidable delay in calling tenders for homes on the 4J acres. MORE HOUSES YET. Mr Connal: There will be need for more still. The position is acute. The Minister: Yes, and we will be glad to let contracts. The next deputationist was Mr J. T. Johnson, chairman of the Te Awamutu Electric .Power Board. He asked the assistance of the Department in procuring housing finance for the Board, so that it could build houses for its employees. He said the Board had purchased sections with the ob ject of building houses, particularly for its trouble men, but the Department had indicated at that time that it had no finance for the purpose, as there,was no authority in 1937 to enable a power board to obtain funds under the Housing Act. However, amending legislation had been promised, and as recently as November, 1938 (he thought that date was correct) several local authorities had been brought under the Act; but the Power Board could not get the Loans Board approval, as that body took the view that power boards should be able to finance their own building projects. He had not heard of any power board that was able to raise the money. Te Awamutu was, in some respects, different; there was a wide district which the Board was trying to reticulate, the latest enterprise being supply to Kawhia district and township. That extension had the full approval of the Minister of Public Works. But every penny of funds was needed for the backblocks reticulation, for it was desired to provide light and power to every home and farm possible. THE MONEY DIFFICULTY. If, continued Mr Johnson, the Power Board could get money at 3 per cent on a 30 year term, the Board would not have to encroach on its funds required for reticulation. The erection of five houses by the Board would help to alleviate the definite shortage in Te Awamutu. The Power Board was a public body fulfilling a public function, and therefore it confidently asked for the Minister’s sympathy in its endeavours. Mr McArthur, secretary manager of the Power Board, confirmed the statements made by Mr Johnson. Mr Tyndall said he was rather surprised at the statement concerning the refusal of the Loans Board, for the Housing Department had a definite scheme of co-operation with the Board. He advised the Power Board to lodge its application, assuring the Board of full consideration and failtreatment. He knew of dairy companies and a river board in the South Island that had obtained loan moneys. Mr McArthur said he had been definitely assured by a high official in Wellington that it was useless applying. That was the basis for the statement. He asked if any power board had obtained a loan. Mr Tyndall: I cannot think of one at the moment. • LOAN. MONEY. The Minister said the Power Board had the right to claim a share of, the allocation," but maybe it had deferred application too long. Now there was little or no prospect of getting any of the 3 per cent money, but the local bodies now have authority to pay a higher rate of interest. He recognised that the Power Board would need all its funds for extending reticulation of the outer districts. Those funds could be better employed that way that, in building homes. Mr Johnson said the Power Board had had to obtain sections on which to build homes if it was to retain its married employees. Mr Armstrong said he would go into the matter on his return to Wellington. He would ask the Loans Boards to treat the .Power Board application as generously as possible. It was very desirable to have trouble men located in a handy position. He thought the best thing to do was to secure a loan from the State Advances Corporation. Mr Johnson said it was first necessary to get the consent of the Loans Board to borrow. Mr Tyndall said housing loans would be at least for a 20 year term. The estimated average life of the State homes was 60 years. WOULD DO HIS BEST. The Minister concluded the interview with the assurance that he would do his best to help. If the Power Board would borrow and build homes it would thus have full control of those homes. He added that the present Government had been blamed for keeping the interest rates low, but it had served a very useful purpose. Mr Goosman. That is what a Government is for, isn’t it? (Smiles.) CONCRETE PATHS. Mr J. C. Montefiore, on behalf of the Borough Council, asked that the Housing Department alter its specifications with regard to footpaths. in Wynyard Street. Applying screenings was regarded as wasteful, for weeds quickly grew, and there was the cost of maintenance. The Council’s policy was to put down 7ft concrete pathspeymanent, clean and not very expensive. ~ . . The Minister said he would go into that matter also, adding that concrete paths had been provided in housing blocks at Whangarei. MAN WITHOUT A HOME. Mr. Alfred Williams, a private deputationist, appealed to the Minister for assistance in getting work and a home. He asked if. the Government policy was to provide homes for men with some finance, in preference to those without? He had been unable for 21 years to get a home in Te Awamutm and had had his furniture stored under a building for all that time. He also was out of work, being told he was too old for any jobs available. He had. been .working on the ragwort scheme, and could do a day’s work with anyone. He had been resident in the district for over 40 years. At present he was living in one room of his son’s flat, which cost 30s per week. It was impossible to get a home of his own. He had written to the Hon. P. C. Webb stating the full facts of his case, but had received no reply. He had therefore taken the first oppor-

tunity available of stating the case personally to a Minister. Mr Armstrong said he would look into the case personally, and would do his best to meet the difficulty. He added that when he was Minister of Labour he had been able to find jobs for all fit men to do. Mr A. G. Laloli assured the Minister that the statements made by and on behalf of the Borough Council and Power Board were correct, and then he directed attention to the case of a married couple, old pensioners, who were shortly to be deprived .of their home, which had become uninhabitable. A State house was desired. Mr Armstrong said he would have the case Investigated. On what had been said it seemed to be one where some preference could be extended. THANKS EXPRESSED. With expressions of thanks to the Minister for his courteous and patient hearing, the deputations withdrew, and a little later the Minister and party, motored round the town to see. the Housing Department’s work, and then departed for Kihikihi, Otoro hanga and Te Kuiti. DEPUTATION AT KIHIKIHI. On arrival at Kihikihi the Ministei and party was met by Messrs F. E. Lehndorf and W. Stewart, to place before the Minister the pressing need tor Housing Department activity in that centre. It was stated that at least 20 homes could be occupied at once, it available. The Minister said that at present applications from Kihikihi were lumped in with those from Te Awamutu. He advised the Kihikihi applicants to make separate application, direct to the Department. It was mentioned that the Mental Hospitals Department had been inquiring for Domain lands on which it was proposed to erect homes for hospital attendants. The Minister remarked that it seemed that the Department had got ahead of the local Town Board or the private individuals; but he had been assured that even- if the hospital’s scheme was gone on with there would still be a pressing need for homes in Kihikihi. However, he would have Kihikihi’s claims thoroughly investigated, and if it was proved that there was a need steps would be taken to meet that need.