HOUSING SHORTAGE.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 September 1920, Page 4

HOUSING SHORTAGE.

——- BAR TO TOWN'S PROGRESS. BOROUGH COUNCIL'S TROUBLES, " • %\ "For some time past the ontlook tot < obtaining a sufficient number of mett to cope with tar work, formation of roads, metalling, etc., has been far from t-: bright," stated the report of the New -.v'vi Plymouth borough engineer, at last night's meeting of the Council J Mr. Cook proceeded to state i "Since last year a great number of men .bare , ; become more settled down, with I£te ie» suit that they are not coming iata iown so freely. We have also lost of our best hands, many of whom htfe either taken farm lands or gone to tfork r on farms. At present, if tarring opr< crations were commenced, it wouldprwtj ■ tically take> every man on the »t#fi form a decent sized gang. i t 4 > "Housing, or lack of housing, preyeaia men from stopping here, and j may affect other towns, we - frM-ilit shortage of labor more acutely fe«i sure the Council will have to tafcfe• ite steps regarding housing if ■have sufficient labor for our'metis, I ,< calculate from enquiries that frotn BQQ to 400 men are required,-as foMows» "0 Hydro work, 150; Borough Caused 80 to 40; Taranaki County, 80 to. 4ft. /.J. tar and metal work); Harbor Bo*«l,*e)t 100." , '• \> The report stated that there were alsft " to he considered the needs oft prln& . ;• employers, and the problem of how cttch . numbers were to be found tUkd housed ' had not been solved.' ' , \ • "If a number of si.'ndard dlmwasloßed c /; three-room cottages cild be 1 11 says the report, "to lassiijed aaittore 1 - or less temporary, ii night telp, toward a . a solution. To erect highly ornanfttM houses is out of the question, both frtin the cost and the length of tine npdr* ed." - -4 The Mayor remarked that there Sseui< ; j cd to be a prevailing impression that the. •> J Council did not want labor, Inspector Day remarked thai' tfrift , ' , s . were numerous instances of the (cantnJT ,1 of housing accommodation. .' » Ensuing discussion round the Couqdl - table touched on the question of erecting temporary housing on land on th( s»* frppt. .* i *" ( It was decided that the necessary frtlps ;; be taken to secure the 1 second of £IO,OOO out of the housing Umi? ' y, HARBOR WORK '/ / NO HOUSES FOR EMPLOYBE&, , As instancing the detrimental eifejfts '■■■•% of the housing shortage on we • r development works at New Daily News reporter wag informed during the last fortnight an »v»rag#pt '_ one workman per day has Been.tytt to the works because housing cannot be |bi tained., >, Since operations commenced harbor scheme fourteen months ago, |P2 men have passed thrbugh the bosß, ttd thus the standard of efficiency <j4t'-ffe . working staff is much lower twa-it would be if a permanent staff coold.'lw t ; retained. In response to advertisefefflW men come from distant parts, tftlje employment, and go into lodgings' pending arrangements for homes. In 'mlflt cases these men are married and hwe families, and when it is found that' houses cannot be secured, they simplf have to leave the work, as it is. a JIHMH tieai impossibility for a working mn Uf ' ( maintain a family in lodgings, or lb!m* self "in lodgings and a family elsewhere* 1 The Harbor Board is willing to injPA iiomes for the workers,;but is in a pMU» liar position in this respect.' It caEfinot , ■ avail itself of the privilege pf building ■; • houses from Government loans up to, £IO,OOO, which privilege is .estefcwt to' _.r£; public bodies, since the Harbor Board !»' not styled as a public body, and it can- 1 • not utilise the loan raided for harboj , ' works except by Government legislation. * Unless a suitable scheme can be formu- ■ iated to meet the acute housing short- ( age, considerable delay in the advancement of the port will result, >