HOUSING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 103, 4 May 1938, Page 6

HOUSING

pHERE arc signs that the Government’s enthusiasm to become the biggest houseowner in the Dominion is on the wane. Mr. J. A. Lee did not come to Wanganui for the ceremony of’ declaring lhe Government-ordered houses finished. Had he done so he would have been invited to explain by what principle of management the housing schemes which he is controlling are being pursued. Wanganui has witnessed the partial erection of homes for the Government and their being left for weeks and weeks roofless. Now comes the information that these houses have remained roofless because of the shortage of tiles. Seeing that the source of these tiles is known to the Under-Secretary in charge of Housing Construction, why did he not first ascertain that the full supply of tiles would have been available to fulfil the requirements of the programme which he launched? Here before the Dominion is an example of managerial incompetence on the part of Mr. Lee. However, Mr. Lee did visit Hastings for the purpose of performing the opening function of the State houses there. The comment of the Hawke’s Bay Herald-Tribune is interesting; “Strangest of all, perhaps, was Mr. Lee’s failure to tell us anything worthwhile about the State Housing scheme, with which he is so intimately associated. Doubtless many of his audience would have been interested to know how it is that, whereas the Einance Minister allowed an average of some £5OO or £6OO as the cost of these houses, they are, in many cases, running out to something not very far, if at all short of, double those figures.’’ Small wonder that Mr. Chapman, who opposed the Wellington City Council embarking on a building programme in December. 1936, should now advocate the City Council doing what the Government was previously anxious to do.