PROTEST TO PRIME MINISTER.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20171, 25 February 1931, Page 10

PROTEST TO PRIME MINISTER.

. —7VV\ BUILDING REGULATIONS COMMITTEE. ARCHITECTS DISAPPOINTED. ■■■■* v ' (P&XSS nSMMtU.I WELLINGTON, February 24. An inadequate representation of architects upon the Building Begulations Committee net up by the Government was claimed at a meeting of the executive committee of the Zealand Institute of Architects this afternoon. A* a result of the meeting, the Prime Minister, the Bt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, has been urged to appoint several more registered architects. ". ... Exception to the personnel' of the committqej" trhlfh is composed of eightcivil engtaeeig. fend two architects, was expressed' architects on Monday,,and they also lodged a protest against the preponderence of civil eni gineers. / The telegram was forwarded to the Prime Minuter at the conclusion of the meeting held to-day is as follows: "At a meeting of the executive com» 'mittee of the New Zealand Institute of Architects, held this afternoon, 'disap* pointment was expressed tha't architects were- not more fully represented on the Government Building Regulations Com* mittee, and they respectfully suggest the appointment of several more architects." It was recalled that at its annual general meeting, held recently, the Institute of Architects made an offer to cooperate with the Government in the- preparation of a building code. Beceipt of this message had been acknowledged by the Prime Minister. Similar offers had been made Iwice, in 1927 and again in 1928. , ' ; " The committee which was set up by the architects has visited Napier and Hastings and the surrounding districts, and is proceeding with its report. A suggestion was made that this commit* tee, which comprises Messrs H. Mandeno (Danedin,. president of the Institute), F. L« Moodie (Auckland), 0. B. Ford (Auckland), A. S< Mitchell (Wellington), H. F. Butcher (Wellington)r and F. E. Greenish (Wellington), should be added to the committee set up by the Government, BUILDING DESIGN. EMPLOYMENT OP STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS. [THE PKBBB Special. Benlts.] WELLINGTON, February 24. Embodying a suggestion that legislation should be introduced to ensure a correction of engineering design in all buildings of a public, commercial,, add industrial character*/ a resolution was passed by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce this 'evening for presentation to the - Government. Mr J. Pearco. Luke said that the question of the design of new buildings was of paramount importance. Very few architects had the necessary knowledge to design a building from a structural point of - view. In his opinion, clients should be compelled to employ the services of a qualified structural engineer. . Mr J. H; Meyer said that he believed that faulty structural designing was responsible for many buildings being tazed to the ground in the great earthquake in Hawke's Bay. Mr A. J. Curtis Baid he thought the majority of architects obtained the ad-., vice of qualified engineers. ; ' Mt Luke: But the fact remains that' the majority of architects do not employ structural engineers! In nine cases out of ten the client refuses ' point blank to pay for the services of a . structural engineer.