PAINTERS AND DECORATORS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17106, 30 March 1921, Page 9

PAINTERS AND DECORATORS.

, ANNUAL CONFERENCE. OPENING DAY'S PROCEEDINGS. The annual conference of the New Zealand Federation of Master Painters', Decorators, and Signwriters' Associations of Employers, opened yesterday under.the chairmanship of Mr IX Lee (Christchurcli), president cf the Federation. The following delegates were present :—-Christchurch: Messrs D. Lee, J. B. Chetwin, E. J. Bell, Geo.. 3ey, T. : Collins, W. Poison. Wellington: Messrs W. Nicol, M. Martin, F. Standridge, A. Barnes, and G. Gapes. Wanganui: | Messrs W. Boif, W. Dean, H. Hunter. Gisborne: Mr F. B. Ovenden. Palmerston North: Mr R. Speirs. Auck- | land: Messrs A. H. Lovsitt, E. Wheaton, F. W. Brinsden. Dunedin: Mr J. Wren. Timaru: Mr R. Griffiths. , CIVIC RECEPTION. Tho- delegates were accorded a civio welcome in the City Council 'Chambers in the morning. The Mayor said it gave him great pleasure to welcome tjhe delegates to the city. He not'only welcomed the painters and decorators, but, he understood, representatives of allied trades: that spoke well, as it indicated that the master painters and decorators were.m touch with the trades with which Dliey came into contact. He spoke of the work that could be dono by them in getting uniformity in the sky-lines or cities, such as had been accomplished in cities like Chicago and Detroit. Referring to the influence they could have on the health of the community, Dr. Thacker said that there should be a stringent law providing that when a room was to be re-papered, if it had been papered once or twice before, the old paper should be removed before tho new paper was put on. (Applause.) This was necessary? owing to the fact that the germs of infectious diseases lay dormant for very lengthy periods. He spoke also of the assistance that technical colleges could\ give them in the training of apprentices and in discovering the natural bent of the youths that came under their influence. Mr D. Lee, president of tho Federation, expressed the tibanks of the delegates for the hearty welcome accorded -them, and paid a high tribute to the public-spiritedness of the Mayor. Shortly- after the epidemic, the City Council had been approached regarding amendments of tho by-laws in the direction of providing for more attention being paid to sanitary conditions, and the suggestions, had been given effect to. Ho referred at some length to tho classes held in Christchurch for apprentices in tho trade, and to tihe benefit derived from them. Mr E. J. Bell also returned thanks, and outlined tho programme Cf social fixtures in connexion with the conference.

The Mayor of Lyttelton (Mr W, T. Lester) also thanked the Mayor for his ■welcome, and spoke of the necessity for by-laws governing tho papering of the interior of houses. Cr. Brinsden (Auckland) also thanked the Mayor for his hearty welcome. There was, he said, a good deal of difficulty ahead of the trade. Higher education had taken the boys away from manual labour of all descriptions. They ,Arere going away into the professions. The city of Auckland was full of young solicitors and of young men in offices, and there was not one apprentice to the painting trade in Auckland. Mr W. Nicol (Wellington) said that a provious conference of the Federation in Christchurch had decided upon the necessity for sanitary provisions in respect of paperhanging. In some instances it was moro necessary to Have an inspection, of the interior of houses than of their 'exterior. There were cases in whidh. rooms that hod been papered twice were quite t Banitary, and they did not want to make the expensa too.great wheTc it was not necessary. Mr W. 11. "Winsor, reprasenting the allied trades, spoko of the amicable cooperation that had taken place in the interests of the public. The suggestions made by the builders in cxJtijunction witft the architects, as to amendments to tho by-laws, had not yet been given effect to: he Coped that they would be adopted ultimately. On behalf of the building and allied trades he welcomed the delegates. The function ended with tflie singing of & verse of tho National Anthem and cheers for' the Mayor and Mayoress. PEESpENT'S ABDBESS.

The president referred with pleasure to the representative nature of the gathering. Regarding the remit relating to tariff reform, lie said that now that paint-making was being developed in New Zealand there would be a demand for protection, but as locafly-pro-ducvd paint did. not amount to.over 10 per cent, of the quantity used in the country, a high import duty would come very hard. The conference was designed, not to increase profits- but";to raise the status of the trade. There was a lot heard of hard times, but most of the trouble was c*aused by gloomy talk and gloomy outlook. The president then reviewed the operations of the executive during the past year. The matter of formulating standard specifications had been gone into, and the specificatious as adopted were now, being considered by the Builders' Association. Propaganda work had been carried out and would be continued until all districts came into the Federation. The Minister of Education had given a sympathetic reply to the representations of a Christchurch deputation which applied for further Government grants- £»■ assist technical education.

The idea of publishing a New Zealand journal for the trade had been adopted, and the first number of tho "New Zea- , land Decorator" was now issued, and would be the official organ of the Fed- c oration and of tho trade generally. A < representative of the British Wall- f papers Manufacturers' Association had j brought under his notice several defects < in the manufacture and handling of the \ British goods, special mention being j made as to short lengths, tho inclusion of rolls of different shades to tho main \ line in one package, roughly-made ] pattern books ? and so on. The gentle- , man in question said that firms were i getting their expert workmen back in t greater numbers, and that the works ] would run more smoothly in the future. f The deputation who waited on the visit- i ing representative wished the manufac- s turers every success in their products, ( and expressed an opinion that British- j made wallpaper for colouring and de- i sign was above comparison and would i again lead the world in beauty , and i taste. ' '. The balance-sheet showed receipts ( £9O 6s 6d, expenditure £2B 19s 3d, balance £6l 7s 3d. < The report and balance-sheet were j adopted. i Separate Tenders. MrR. Griffiths (Timaru) introduced : a remit supporting the principle ,of 1 "separate tenders" for painting and paperhanging in the contract for the i erection and completion of a house. The J old plan, he.saidj of letting the paint; ] ers' pay go in with the general tender i worked most unsatisfactorily, and the : new proposal was that the separate ten- J ders should be sent in to the architects. That plan had, been adopted with sue- 1 cess in Timaru? Mr Griffiths, who advocated that the payments to the paint- ' ers should be made direct to the architect instead of through the builder. In reply to a question, Mr Griffiths said -that the Timaru builders at first objected to the change, but they fell into line when the innovation was supported by the Architects' Association. The new method did much to raise the difficulties caused by "slippery" builders I Mr W. Nicol (Wellington) urged that 1 separate payments were as necessary ; for the protection of tho painter as ( separate tenders. He saw no reason why that change should not be adopted 1 either by agreement with the arohi- , tects and builders, or by legislation. Mr F. Standridge (Wellington) said : his Association had an agreement with allied trades for mutual employment, and he did not think the separate tender system would work in Wellington, in view of the conditions prevail- j ing in that city. Mr G. Gapes (Wellington) said the ; difficulty could be got over by arranging that the work should only be given ; to a member of the Association. ' Mr T. Collins (Christchurch) moved: (1) "That the Architects' Institute bo 1 [ approached with a view to securing separate painting tenders and pay- , ', ments; (2) Association members to have ! . preference, and (3) no tenders to be , i received from other tlian recognised painting firms." Mr Collins said it was degrading for a well-established painting firm to Jiaye ' to go cap in hand to some builder in order to get the money due, and it was time a painters' lien was secured ; by legislation. The motion was seconded .by Mr R. > Griffiths (Timaru). , _ Mr J. Wren (Dunedin) Baid it was [ most difficult at present to secure payments from the builders, and frequently [ bills had to be taken on which 7$ per , cent, had to bo paid for discounting. , The president urged that clause three ■ should be struck out, as it nullified clause two. ' Mr Collins said clause three would ' eliminate the builder-painter, who was \ stealing tho broad, and butter from the legitimate painter, every day. . Tho motion was put and carried. [ White Lead. Mr P. B. Ovenden (Gisborne) intro- " duced a remit advocating sl6 u'se of i sulphate of lead in place of tho im- ' ported and poisonous carbonate of lead. ' Mr E. J. Bell (Christchuroh) said the [ virtues and evils of tho two compounds 1 were still in dispute, and the highest ' medical authority was still in doubt on the point' that sulphate of lead was less s poisonous to the human system than * carbonate of lead. The only advocates ' of the sulphate were tlie peoplo who J were interested in its manufacture. The 1 Conference -would be ill-advised to ask ' for any change, and should hold the 1 matter over in the meantime. s Mr J. Wren (Dunedin) said, in tho | course of a long experience, he had ' only known of one case of white lead poisoning. A white lead factory was [ not an unhealthy place to work in, for ' everything was automatic. The president said that sulphate of lead had been tried in various countries, and abandoned. . 1 Mr G. Gapes (Wellington) said an agitation: existed for the prohibition of the use of whjte .lead, and some Parliamentary action might be taken next session. A Bill had actually been prepared, but a promise was given that the Federation would bo consulted before the Bill waa passed. Mr R. Spcirs (Palmerston North) said the Federation should act in cooperation with the carriage painters, who were more affected by the use of white lead than the house painter. Mr E. J. Bell moved: "That it be an instruction to the new executive to consider carefully the whole matter, and report to a later conference." I The president said that no satisfac- ' tory substitute had yet been found for ' white lead. | The motion was carried. f j Analysing Substitutes. \ A Gisborne remit: "Hat various substitutes as dryline, phimsol, be analysed, to see if they are injurious. - ' was referred to the next conference, enquiries on the subject to be made l>v the. executive, in the meantime* |

Training Apprentices. Mr E. Whoaton (Auckland) introduced the subject of tho training of apprentices. . Ho aaid there was a difficulty in getting boys in Auckland, and there was an impression there was no future for tho boys in the trade. Tho idea was that some scheme might be evolved for the"provision of.technical training for the boys, in order to niako the calling more attractive. Mr E. J". Bell (Christchurch) . said that in Christchurch instruction was provided at tho Technical College for coach-painting and sign-writing, but the classes languished, and the Painters' Association arranged that practical painters' training classes should be started at tho School of Art, the attendance of apprentices to bo compulsory, and partly in the employers' time, and the fees to be paid by the employers. By the end of the year there would bo at least 20 apprentices attending the classes, and they would all be receiving a first-class training. That scheme could be followed in other centres. Mr F. Collins (Christchurch) said the operatives wanted a clause inserted n a Dominion a-ward_ for the technical training of apprentices. The president said the boys attending the Christchurch classes were of a good type, and would make excellent tradesmen. Mr W. Nicol (Wellington) said the present Minister of Education would, he felt sure, be willing to give all help possible, in promoting the movement for the training of appreptices, and an .endeavour would be made in Wellington to provide the training. The matter was left to, the Associations to take action. The Conference then adjourned until to-day.