HOUSING SCHEMES.

Thames Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 20081, 9 August 1937, Page 2

HOUSING SCHEMES.

MR. LEE'S DEFENCE. Regarding High Rents. CONTRACTORS BUSY. SAVING' IN CONSTRUCTION COSTS. *»» [By Telegraph.—Press Association] AUCKLAND, Aug. 9. Since the inception of the Government housing scheme last year, tenders have been called for the erection of more than 1400 houses, according to a statement by Mr. J. A. Lee, who is visiting Auckland. "In the majority of cases tenders have been let or actual building operations are proceeding. Schemes are also rapidly being developed to serve other districts. Building is either under way or operations were about to start at Lower Hutt, Miramar and Johnsonville, in Wellington, at Orakei and Otahuhu, in Auckland, also in Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill, Oamaru, Thames, Whakatane, New Plymouth, Masterton, Wanganui, Palmerston North and Westport. Tenders are being called foi houses on the Casey Estate, Auckland, and for schemes at Whangarei, Tauranga, Hastings, Levin, Patea, Hawera, Timaru, also for additional schemes at Christchurch and Dunedin. Other towns are also receiving attention", but owing to difficulty in negotiating satisfactory purchases of land, schemes are slower in starting. Altogether land for housing has been purchased in 40 different towns."

Answering the criticism that rents are too high for workers, Mr.' Lee said: "I should like to.know where the toiler can get even a shack at a figure comparable to our rents at Orakei. Houses will be 10/- or 15/ a week cheaper than would be paid for a similar type of house built privately. Every section of land which we bought in the main centres represents a substantial saving on or purchased for housing purposes by the previous Government. In many cases this savings amounts -to about 40 or 50 per cent." He added there were occasional complains in the matter of contracting, and that the housing scheme was a one-man show. Actually there were at least 30 different contarctors at work on various schemes.