The Timaru Herald. MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 1920. THE HOUSING PROBLEM.

Timaru Herald, Issue 170297, 16 August 1920, Page 6

The Timaru Herald. MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 1920. THE HOUSING PROBLEM.

A report by the Superintendent of tlie Housing* Branch of the Labour Department whicli was before the House last ive vill not make any pulses thrill with the prospect of an early solution of the housing- problem. The Superintendent estimates that the present shortage of dwellings is 7400. . If arrangements' are made under the Housing Act for the erection of 1300 houses a year by the Department and public bodies, in addition to houses built by private enterprise, the shortage Trill be "largely overcome" by the end of 1922. Public construction at that rate is hardly promised as an immediate prospect when we read that for the last nine months the number of houses "completed, started, or proposed to be erected by the Department" has not exceeded 1805, but the Superintendent believes that this progress can be improved upon as first difficulties are surmounted. The chief difficulties have been shortage of labour and material.

Tlie desirableness of relieving" the present housing- shortage just as soon as possible can liardly be exaggerated- Apart from its first importance, to a large extent this problem underlies tie questions of industrial unrest, a healthy nation, and satisfactory immigTation, three of tlie most important matters fox? 'tlie whole community. As an alternative to the Government's scheme there is the plan of some building firms and unions, which it is proposed should be extended to include employers and workers willing, to come under it iu any part of the dominion, for a co-operative house-building effort. It has still to be shown, 'however, whether this plan offers any improvement upon Government methods. The idea which underlies it is the securing of more co-operation between workers and employers for the end in view, but lack of- cooperation between those parties has not been a main difficulty in the building trade, as it lias been in the mining industry and some others. The advantages which the employers and the workers who are fconcerned in it stand to gain from this scheme f>re nlo'n enough. . The contracting firms would receive their percentage on the cost of construction without taking any risk, and the workers would receive an extra remuneration for no extra services are evident. _ What the plan does not promise is to make more niaterial and more labour, which are the real needs of a housebuilding scheme. Until those needs are provided the plain man must wonder how the great acceleration of building promised by the authors of this scheme is to be brought about. 'lt is claimed that the Government can erect a house for £l5O less than the private builder must charge, owing to its large purchases of materials and its disregard, for profits- But the Premier has admitted that the Government . by itself cannot build sufficient houses to cover the shortage. Whatever help the Government is

j to get from private enterprise the f first tiling for it to do is to ' devise some plan no increase the output of timber and otlier materials. Its immigration syswill provide more workmen if that is properly managed.