WIDE DISPARITY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20763, 25 June 1937, Page 8

WIDE DISPARITY

TENDERS FOR STATE HOUSES COMMENT BY MR LEE By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, June 24. Tenders recently closed for 76 houses in various parts of New Zealand under the Government housing scheme and Mr J. A. Lee, Parliamentary Undersecretary in charge of Housing, said to-day in announcing the results of the tendering that there was absolutely no justification for the wide disparity that existed in the various prices in various places. The Government had no intention of playing the exorbitant prices tendered in some towns. He referred to a disparity in one case of £370 and said that a difference in cost of £5O was equivalent to at least 1/- a week in the rent that should be charged. Indicating that some tenders were to be readvertised, Mr Lee said he hoped that local builders would take the opportunity and be able to make good. If they did r.ot, the Government would be forced to take other steps than placing reliance on local builders alone. He I said that in some of the city contracts a price per foot of 18/- and a fraction had been received, and against this he contrasted a Gisborne tender of nearly 30/- per foot.