MR. LEE'S COMMENT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 251, 22 October 1937, Page 5

MR. LEE'S COMMENT

SHORTAGE OF SKILLED MEN I Per Press Association. ] WELLINGTON, Oct. 21. Asked to comment on the reported arrival on the Rangitiki at Auckland of 40 English carpenters, Mr J. A. Lee, Under-Secretary for Housing, stated that with the contracts now let in Auckland and the serious shortage that existed it was obvious that there would be an acute shortage of tradesmen. No carpenters were coming under contract to the Housing Department, nor was the Housing Db partment in a position to guarantee any firm continuity of work. To his knowledge, said Mr Lee, a considerable influx of building craftsmen was occurring from Australia, and these men were being absorbed in the building industry. For building programmes that the Government would like to carry out, there was a shortage of several thousand skilled men, and every additional craftsman in the country enabled unskilled workers ro be taken up and also enabled the building trade to give further employment to timber workers, brickmakers, and stove pipe and plumbing manufacturers. About 140 houses haa been let on the Casey Estate, Auckland, and 21 tenders had been received for contracts in the Mount Roskill Road Board area. The whole attitude of the building trade towards the housing schema had changed, and in Auckland all the building firms seemed desirous of securing Government housing contracts. The contract for house-building at Devonport would close in a few days and further contracts would be advertised shortly for other parts of Auckland, while roading was under way to prepare a further scheme for Orakei.

Mr Lee said that during the lifetime of the Labour Government there seemed to be no possibility of a surplus of building labour.