Editorial Comment

Progress, Volume XIV, Issue 11, 1 July 1919, Page 541

Editorial Comment

From Christchurch, Wellington and Building Auckland come satisfactory reports of Trade Busy activity in the building industry. Things are reviving under the stimulus which is provided by relief from the distraction of war conditions, and the return of thousands of our men, most of them fit for work. The assistance given by the Government in the purchase of farms for returned soldiers has caused a mild land boom, especially in the Auckland province, and it is evident from the extent to which large firms in the principal cities are proceeding with long-delayed building programmes that they anticipate a quick return to good business conditions, One hears little of a possible slump after the war, and we are glad that this is so, for New Zealand has really profited materially by the war demand for its chief products, and the bank returns show no signs of a weakness in finance now that the struggle is over. The tremendous increase in national debt means a liability in interest to be shouldered by the taxpayer, a liability which can only be met by increased production. The fact that large firms are spending money on extension of their premises is a clear indication that these well-informed concerns do not fear any slump, but on the contrary are making ready for more business in near future. The Wellington Harbour Board is spending a large sum in wharf extension, which is another indication of how the future is viewed with optimism. Though it cannot be said that building material is appreciably cheaper to-day, the reduction in the price of corrugated iron to £55 per ton, and a drop in the price of nails are good signs. The Labour Department is hoping to provide about two hundred new workers' dwellings in various parts of the country, but it remains to be seen whether the tenders will come within the limit of price imposed under this scheme. Housing problems are not likely to be solved by the workers' dwellings system, for it is not comprehensive enough, and is run under such severe financial limitations that we doubt if it will serve to appreciably ease the situation. What is wanted is a comprehensive system such as that proposed by the Town Planning Conference, described in our' last issue, and apparently • approved in a general way by some

members of the National Government. If private enterprise could have found a reasonable return from the building of dwellings, the shortage would not have been so pronounced, but the time has come when State aid is required in the provision of this necessity of life. Only in this way will the gap be bridged between prices which pay, " and those which not show a self-supporting basis. What has to be now included in the balance sheet is the national value of decent housing for the hard-pressed wage earner.

With the object of getting to know the inner working of garden cities and industrial villages in the Old Country, Mr. Hurst Beager is about to leave New Zea-

A Town Planner’s Mission

land for an extended trip. He will make himself acquainted with developments since his last visit to England about ten years ago, and he is particularly anxious to collect particulars of the working of communal kitchens and similar devices to reduce the difficulties of house-keeping owing to the labour scarcity. It may be that future city dwellers will decline to burden themselves with separate cooking arrangements for each family. Cooking makes more work in the average house than anything else connected with the establishment, and if the drudgery could be concentrated, more efficient methods could be adopted and greater economy secured. Sydney has a half dozen flats with restaurants in the basements. Wellington needs this kind of building badly, as an alternative to the overcrowded boardinghouses, and the make-shift apartment house contrived out of a large dwelling which has been deserted by a former owner for better surroundings in the suburbs or country. If Mr. Hurst Seager's inquiries will induce a few New Zealand capitalists to invest in restaurant flats, or inspire the organisation of a communal kitchen or two in the cities, he will have done further service to the movement he has so vigorously pushed for many years. As the housing question is being thoroughly tackled in the Old Country, no doubt the New Zealand town planner will not wait for return to the Dominion, but will endeavour to assist the movement here with information he will send out in special articles. We heartily wish Mr. Hurst Seager well in his mission, which will not only be educative to himself —well planned as it has beenbut will be of great advantage to New Zealanders generally, for the solution of many troublesome problems will be presented through the vision of one who knows the local conditions, and the special difficulties to be overcome.

Labour- Saving in the Home.

It is often alleged that in the designing of houses the architect pays too little attention to ' the requirements of the housewife. This may be true, but our

experience of modern designs goes to show that where the owner can afford the necessary outlay the New Zealand architect has quite risen to the occasion in the way of providing ample cupboard room and good kitchen conveniences., This important phase of house design was considered in England by a special committee of twelve practical women of wide experience, under the presidency of Lady Emmott. The committee, in reporting to Dr. Addison, the Minister of Reconstruction, laid special emphasis on the importance, from the housewife's point of view, of a cheap electricity supply. Attention is drawn to the vast amount of labour, dirt,

and destruction entailed by open coal fires and their smoke. " With electricity," says the report, " half the domestic work now necessary will become unnecessary." Central heating for indvidual houses is sympathetically discussed, as are also different methods for obtaining adequate hot water supplies—a need of special importance to the household. The report goes on to emphasize the necessity in working homes of an ample scullery. The combined cooking-range and open fireplace usually provided in the living room might be superseded by a cookingstove in the scullery which would also heat water for bath and sink. The need of a second fire in the living room during the winter might be met either by the use of radiators (as suggested earlier in the report in a paragraph on central heating) or by the use of improved fuel-conserving types of stoves. Experiments are now being made to produce a cooking machine," with hot water system attached. As to communal kitchens, which will be the subject of inquiry by Mr Hurst Seager during his forthcoming visit to England, the women's committee does not approve without some qualification. The report suggests that it does not seem probable that communal kitchens, to which women could come and cook for themselves, will find favour. The solution of communal cooking would seem to lie in the supply of varied and wholesome-cooked foods at reasonable prices either by municipal corporations or by private enterprise.

During the last few weeks negotiations have been actively going on between the Minister of Public Works and the Waihi Gold-mining Company for the purchase

WaterPower - Schemes

of the Horohoro power installation which has provided the Waihi mines with electricity for some years. Possibly the purchase will have been concluded by the time this issue is published, as we understand there was a good chance of coming to an agreement regarding the price without the necessity, as provided in the Company’s licence, to fix the purchase price by arbitration. This shows that the Government is at last quite alive to the necessity of doing something to develope the hydro-electric resources of the North Island. The Horohoro plant will be able to serve the Waihi mines, and also a large area of good productive country along the power line, as well as some portions of the Waikato. About 3,000 horse-power has hitherto been taken for Waihi, and there remains 6,000 horse-power for general industrial purposes. Six miles higher than Horohoro, at Arapuni on the Waikato River, is the site of the Government’s proposed electric station. It is ideal for the purpose, as a dam across a gorge about a chain in width .will back up the water for about twenty miles, thus providing a fine storage and good fall, while Lake Taupo, from which the river runs, gives a storage which will never fail. Between 150,000 and 160,000 horse-power will become available from’ this station, so that the needs of Auckland and the Waikato will be fully provided for. County Councils on the East Coast of the North Island are showing activity from Gisborne down to Hawke’s Bay, and it is quite possible that their local schemes, dove-tailing with the general scheme-laid down by Mr. Evan Parry, will soon reach a practical stage. Two Otago schemes to be run by local bodies have been financed by loans arranged in London by Sir Joseph Ward, so that if the labour supply is equal to the demand, the future of cheap power for the Dominion is a bright one.