THE HOUSING PROBLEM.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, 19 June 1925, Page 13

THE HOUSING PROBLEM.

To the Editor of tlie “Timaru Herald.” Sir, —A paragraph in your local column of a recent issue referring to the workers’ homes erected by the Borough Council appears to be suspiciously like insidious propaganda to prejudice Councillor Kelly’s case in moving that a committee be set up to consider the question of a continuation of the -scheme. The concluding sentences state “it appeared that the demand for workers’ homes was then satisfied,” and “since then private enterprise has provided a good many additional homes,” the inference being that there is no need for the Council to build any more cottages. I say, unhesitatingly, that private enterprise has not provided homes on terms comparable to those of the Council’s scheme, and never will. I also deny that “the demand has been satisfied,” the position being that dozens of workers would jump at the prospect of securing a home by means of the Council’s scheme, did not the required deposit of £IOO cash cause the demand to be ineffective. It is the opinion of many with whom I have discussed the subject, that in stipulating a deposit of £IOO, the Council was unnecessarily cautious. I was informed by a resident of Christchurch that there, the City Council require a deposit of only £25. I suggest that inquiries be made, officially, to ascertain if any losses have resulted to the City Council. Further, I suggest when the subject is under consideration, councillors will carefully weigh the arguments in favour of discarding the contract system under which the houses in existence were built, and the substitution of the day labour system in preference. As I happened to be the contractor for one of those houses, I know its actual cost, and I am prepared to place before the Works Committee a statement showing the actual cost to me of materials, sub-contractor’s cnarges and labour costs; and 1 will underrake to prove as conclusively as anything can be proved, short of ocular de-' m'onstration, that by the employment of direct labour, under competent and conscientious supervision, untrammelled by red tape, a saving of more than £6O can be effected to the occupier.—I am, etc., GEO. T. ROLLER.