NEW GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 784, 6 April 1910, Page 4

NEW GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

. Sir,—lt has been, stated in the press that the Governor's residence would have been, finished by now, but by appearances it is only, half-finished. .'Yet, recently,, a number of men were discharged—to swell the ranks of the unemployed. Anent'the discharge,; I was always of the opinion that married men had preference, but not ■so in this instance. A huriibei of the men have large families, arid single men kept on. . It • may - be asserted by the officer in charge that the most competent men were kept on—that is open' to question. ..When the building was first started, single : men were put on, ; transferred from other public works in hand, and when. complaint was made at. headquarters it has been alleged no notice could be. taken, unless it came through the unions concerned. Now, having had experience .'.with unions, it is.'very difficult to get", them to; move in a' matter which concerns ah official, and,- therefore,- ' the complainants did not ; trouble further. I would suggest that when men are put off from public works they should be balloted, for. '.I believe that the Government aTe in favour of preferential trade and the fostering of jyative industries, then, why is ■it rthat so much"imported material is'being used in the construction of the building? American pulp-plaster is being .■used for a. j)or.Upn I rpf' i internal work— 'which"'is J duty "ires— in 'preference. to New Zealand linie and san<l. Surely our own article, is as : good .as: the imported. Lime mortar, haa-. stood the test for i.years, ■whereas'the pulp plaster is of .recent date. Surely, as the work is being done by day labour, or ,a portion of it, at any rate,. the local material used would be of the best; therefore, should be equal !to. anything imported. It seems 'strange that, portion of-the work is being done by contract and the rest day labour. Are those responsible for the .carrying-out of the.work experimenting at the .people's expense? No doubt, day work is tho best under, proper supervision. A strange thing is that there:.are. three . foremen overman© branch, and as there has been as big jobscarried out here by contract, .and only one foreman' for each branch, it seems, superfluous for three to be over one branch.at Government House. If the Hon. Minister for Public Works, who is > practical man, could: pay a :visit, ho may be. able to suggest some means of expediting the work in' hand, and not allow men to be put off w.hen .there appears to-be plenty to do. If the .contractors ■ for different works are lax in getting on with their work, shake them up,' as.there aire.plenty of men available: -I am, etc., ; PKACTICAL. March 31; 1910. '■'"'";' .- "''..-