BUILDING TRADE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20359, 17 July 1934, Page 8

BUILDING TRADE.

Many Important City Jobs in Hand. WORK OX DWELLINGS NEEDED. “ Definitely busy,” was the way in which one builder described the position of the building trade to-day, and a walk round the streets of the citywill confirm this view. In most of the business streets the incessant sound of hammering can be heard and workmen can be seen busily engaged in construction work of every' kind. New buildings are springing up to replace out-of-date structures. Some of the work is being carried on under the Government subsidy scheme. Works in Hand. Messrs Beath and Co., T. Armstrong and Co., Tonks, Norton and Co., the new State Fire building, the Harley Chambers, the Federal Club (old and new), the Tudor tea-rooms, Carey’s building and the building next to the new Tivoli theatre are but a few of the city premises that are being altered or rebuilt. With these and other works it would appear that the army of unemployed carpenters and labourers would diminish, but this has not been the case. “ There is only' one way to absorb the men, and that is in house building,” said one leading city builder this morning. “ A building costing £20,000 or £30,000 is no good to the carpenter for sub-contracts and other charges have to be taken into consideration and the price of a lift in the building, say £IOOO, is the price of a house. These buildings are usually constructed in concrete and this also affects the carpenter considerably.” “ Definitely busy, and I think the position will be of a permanent nature,” was another opinion.

“ There is a good deal of work being done in a big way, but not much in the way of house building,” said still another builder.

During the past year man}' new buildings have been constructed, and it is doubtful whether so much new work has been put in hand for y'ears. There has not been much activity in the building of dwellings, however, and it is in this direction that contractors would like to see more movement.

Judging by the value of permits for new buildings authorised by the Christchurch City Council over a period of years, there is room for great improvement before the trade is anywhere near normal. For the year ended March 31, 1930, permits were issued valued at £822,378; for 1931, £575,163; for the year ended March, 1932, the figures fell to the small total of £173,097, and the following year the low level of £130,045 was reached. With the introduction of the subsidy scheme a slight rise to £266,235 was recorded for the year ended March 31, 1934.