THE BUILDING TRADE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16448, 2 June 1919, Page 3

THE BUILDING TRADE.

BUSY TIME AHEAD. “I know of no town in New Zealand where the immediate prospects are so encouraging as they are at New Plymouth. The town has a great future before it, there can. bo no doubt about it.” Such is the opinion of many business men whose calling brings them in this direction and to-day such ia the opinion of townspeople generally. There are of course a few pessimists about, men —and women too —who are always pulling a long face; who never have a good word to say for their town, who have always grumbled and found fault in everything and will continue to grumble and find fault with everything. They grumbled at the advent of the motor c*r, at the installation of a tramway service, they even wonder, why money should he spent in the construction of a deep sea harbour; the produce, acceding to them, could be taken out and loaded on to the ocean diners outside without all this expense. Such people are not peculiar to New Plymouth, of course. Other towns have to contend with them, and despite their winnings, have progressed just as New Plymouth will progress and prosper'. A reliable barometer as to the prosVpecta of any town is the building trade. Wherever new houses or business premises are being erected then there can be no question but that that town or district is going ahead, and so it iswith New Plymouth. No matter; in what direction one goes one sees new houses in course of construction. It is perhaps not so particularly notable in the town itself, but get out into the suburbs, into those areas which merged into the borough some years ago, and then .one realises that despite the war, and the consequent large increase in the cost of -all building materials, many new houses have been built. At the same time the number of new dwellings is not nearly sufficient to satisfy the demand, with the result that many families keenly desirous of getting into a house of their own have to h© content to live in rooms. The explanation is that for some time past there has been a steady influx of population. Many farmers who have sold their properties have come to New Plymouth to settle; during the last year or two fresh avenues of labour have been opened up and the workmen there employed have had to be provided with homes. To-day New Plymouth could do with probably another 200 homes, so that there is no wonder the housing problem is exercising to such a great extent the minds ,of public, men large employers of ll'ahour. ' All available labour is swallowed up and employment ment is obtainable for several hundred more men if only the town had accommodation for them. The Borough Council wants men in order that it might push on with the several large and important works it has on hand; in a very little while there will' be employment for some 200 men at the bar-: hour on the big development scheme recently sanctioned by the ratepayers, firms in tire building trade are wanting men, and so it goes on, but always it comes back to the same question, where are all these men going to live, if they come to Now Plymouth? The Borough Council and; it is understood, one, or two other big concerns are considering housing schemes for some of their own employees, and proposals are well under, weigh for the erection of some 50 houses for a local syndicate which realises the urgent necessity for dwellings, so that} even in house property alone the build, ing trade has a busy future before it. Then there-is a very decided moves in regard to new business premises, w hilst several other large contracts are in progress at the present time, notably the new nurses’ home. For some time past a large staff has been engaged on very extensive additions to Mr. Newton King’s motor garage and machinery department, and these when completed will occupy the whole, of the Hill Street frontage of Mr. Newton King’s property. In Currie Street, near the railway goods shed, a fine two storey warehouse is being erected for Mr, John Avery; Mr. M. O. Butcher is having additions made to his premises in. Gill Street, whilst Mr. A. .Smith, of the Criterion motor garage, is also making considerable additions. Then again Messrs. Derby and Go. ore commencing the erection of a new and commodious garage which will have frontages to both Devon and Courtenay Streets, and plana have been prepared for several new business premises for different firms in Devon Street, contracts for which are likely to be let in the near future, whilst the Harbour Board has several applications for sections at Moturoa upon which large concerns propose to erect distributing warehouses. Without being too optimistio too, one might also look forward to seeing new and modern schools being erected to replace the present Central and West End schools, both of which are more or less overcrowded’ and nob at all desirable buildings for the purpose for which they are being used. The building trade undoubtedly has ai busy time ahead and as already pointed, out, it is the safest barometer to follow .as to the prosperity of any town, so that New Plymouth during the next few years n going to make great strides. The town has not in the past pushed ahead as it should have done, but it has now turned the corner so to speak and it is not going to be any false boom either.