DWELLINGS FOR WORKERS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14065, 20 August 1913, Page 2

DWELLINGS FOR WORKERS.

PROGRESS OF THE, SCHEME. GOST OF HOMES IN DIFFERENT CITIES. • AVERAGE RENTS COMPARED. (By Telegraph.— Special to Hkbald.) WELLINGTON, August 19. The Prime Minister, in presenting the report on Workers’ Dwellings for the year ended March 31st last, remarks; probably the principal feature of the operation of the Act during the year lias ticon the decision of the Government to extend its benefits to farming and other employees iff the country districts, for whom it is proposed to purchase or set apart suitable blocks of laud to be subdivided into sections of about 5 acres each upon which to erect workers’ dwellings.. In response to this decision several blocks of laud have been offered for the purpose of workers’ dwellings, but as it is of the utmost importance that close inquiries bo blade as to the actual needs of the workers concerned for such workers’ dwellings in the respective localities and also’ as to their ability to carry out the responsibilities that would be entailed upon them by the Act, negotiations have not yet in any case, been quite completed.' When these steps have been taken no doubt arrangements will bo made without further delay for the purchase of suitable blocks of land, and' the erection of dwellings thereon will then bo proceeded with.

The decision of the Government some two years ago, as outlined in the 1911 rcnoi't on, workers’ dwellings to extend the operations of the Act from the four main centres to the smaller towns has proved successful, as during the past year land has been purchased or set apart and thirty-seven dwellings have been erected in such towns, while arrangements arc also well in hand for the erection of fourteen dwellings at Oreymouth and twelve at Invercargill. With regard to the four centres, six dwellings have been erected in .Christchurch, thirty-six are in course of erection in Auckland, and two arc in course of erection in Dunedin.

The report states that thirty-four of the 126 dwellings erected under the 1905 Act, have been purchased by the tenants. Under the -hew system by which the collotionc of all rentals and payments has been placed in the hands of the Public Trustee, the percentage of routs collected has risen from 88 in 1910-11 to 94 in 1912-13, and it is expected this percentage will be further increased owing to the disposal .of- the remaining truancies 911 the purchase system. SOME INTERESTING COMPARISONS. It is interesting to compare the cost of dwellings in various centres. Eor fourroom dwellings the average cost of erection was ,£312 in Auckland, ,£345 in Wellington, <£3oo at Christchurch, and <£3lß at Palmerston North. -Eor five rooms Auckland £345, Wellington £3BO, Christchurch £331, and Palmerston North £374. The average cost of sections in the different localities with the areas and the average price per area, also affords interesting comparisons. At Auckland (Ellorslic and Otahuhu) the average area is 1 rood 4-95 perches, the average price charged to purchasers £137, and average price charged per acre £4BB. Wanganui (Gonvillo 2 miles distant and Wanganui East 2 miles), 33p., £74. £359; Palmerston North (Terrace End, 2 miles), 35., £75, £343; Wellington (Island Bay, 31miles), 15.4 p., £lO3, £1,070; Christchurch (Sydenham 2 miles and Addington 3 milesmiles), 38.5p.,‘ £7B. £324; Tiraaru (2 miles), 27p., .£56, £332; Tcrmnka (2 miles), 2r. Op., £75, £l5O. The average rents per week run as follows for four and live rooms. Auckland 13s 9d and 15s 3d,' Wellington 14s 5d and 15s lid, Christchurch 12s 2d and 13s 9d, Wanganui 13s 4d and 14s 6d, Palmerston North 12s 7d and 14s 2d, Tiinaru 12s 4d and 13s 4d, and Tcmuka 12s 2d and J3s 2. The average for all towns is 13s and 14s 4d.

It will be seen,isays tho Minister, that the cheapest town in which to build is Christchurch, whilst the largest expensive is contracted iu Wellington and Palmerston North. It has thus so far been found quite as expensive to build in the smaller towns as in the four centres, although as the laud is considerably cheaper iu the foMncr, the capital value is slightly less and the instalments payable are appreciably reduced. Tho total_ amount expended during the preceding year iu laud and*building etc., was £4(3,899 „ 10s 2d, while during the year 102 dwellings were erected and disposed of.

RUSH FOR WORKERS’ DWELLINGS. “I know of no direction in which public money can lie more satisfactorily utilised as in the direction of providing workers’ dwellings,” §aid the Prime Minister in Parliament to-day. He had been asked, by Mr Ell what ho was doing to meet an urgent need for these dwellings in Christchurch, and undertook to have a report prepared to show the position. Speaking generally Mr Massey declared that funds would not permit of satisfying all the demands. Ho only wished the Colonial Treasurer would let him have -£IOO,OOO for that purpose, for he could do justice to every penny. “Why not put a little, pressure on gently?” suggested an ex-Treasnrer, Mr Myers, but tl)e Prims Minister only smiled. ■ Ho explained, that within the last few' weeks several thousand pounds had been spent in buying land and erecting workers’ dwellings.