HOME BUILDERS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20256, 16 March 1934, Page 5

HOME BUILDERS.

Success of New South Wales Scheme. / HUNDREDS JOIN IN QUEUE. (Special to the “ Star.”) SYDNEY. March 1. A short time ago I had occasion to refer to the “ home building scheme ” announced recently by Mr Stevens, and I pointed out that it could hardly be expected to reach the level of the poorly paid workers or to meet their needs. In justice to our Premier I must now admit that, within the limits to which it is adjusted, the sckeme already promises to be a great success. On the day on which the forms were ready for applicants a long queue of wouldbe home builders formed up outside the Rural Bank in Martin Place, and by the time that the office doors were closed on the first day no fewer than 800 inquirers had secured the necessary information. Nor were their questions prompted by idle curiosity. For when the scheme had been open for public consideration for only one week the Rural Bank prepared for the Premier a return showing that “ there are 2270 prospective home builders in the city area alone.” Mr Stevens was in Melbourne when he received this welcome news, and told an interviewer that this “ remarkable response ” to his Government’s offer of assistance meant, among other things, a substantial reduction in the volume of unemployment through the amount of constructional work that will be required. According to the Rural Bank report, no fewer than 1200 of the applicants already possess the land on which they wish to build, and as soon as they have complied with the conditions they can start operations at once. In addition to these there have been numerous inquiries for information from the settlers and small farmers in both North and South coastal districts. Of course, the great difficulty in the way of the home builders is the necessary deposit, and when Mr Stevens

published his scheme he suggested that employers would probably be willing to make advances for this purpose to their employees. A good many people were inclined to deride this as an instance of “ political optimism.” But we are now informed that the Australian Iron and Steel Company, which is extending its operations on a large scale, is prepared to advance deposits sufficient for the building of homes for 100 of its “ hands ” at Port Kembla, and the Premier, in his Melbourne interview, said that he had reason to believe that many other employers foul'd follow suit. If this is so, Mr Stevens’s confidence in the inherent goodness of human nature will have been amply justified, and there never has been any doubt about his business acumen or his financial capacity in handling such problems as this.