BETTER TIMES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2488, 29 April 1909, Page 6

BETTER TIMES.

THE BUILDING TRADE GAUGE

The building trade as often said to afford one. of the surest indices of a city’s financial position. Judged by the latest indications (says the “Post”), better times in Wellington are approaching. Six months ago the suburban building operations fell off by quite two-thirds, and though a little improvement was manifested after two or three months, the volume kept comparatively small. In the city the falling-off was less sudden, but it was steadily experienced until the totals dropped to only an eighth or ninth of what thfy had been, and in ono fortnightly period they fell to less than £6O-00. After that there was gradual improvement, and a recent fortnightly report submitted to the City Council by its chief building inspector (Mr W. Murdoch) showed that permits had been issued for buildings in the city which were valued at some £15,000. That increaso is likely to be accentuated in the near future, for the inspector has on liis table at the present- time, plans of projected works in tlio city, which have been set down by the architects at an aggregate value of £84,000. Nearly onelialf of this total is for one work—the Union Steamship Company’s now offices —hut the remaining £40,000 odd is , made up of a goodly number of large buildings, and the effect of these works upon the labor market should be extreme I }' beneficial at the present time. The figures quoted above take no account of the. big contract involved in the construction for the Government of the new General Post- Office, nor ot the new post office at Te Aro, and one or two minor jobs now in progress for the Government ; so, all in all, the immediate prospects for the city are of a much more favorable nature than seemed probable a little while ago.