BUILDING TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 969, 9 November 1910, Page 5

BUILDING TRADE.

THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE. Tie eleventh annual meeting of the New Zealand Builders' and Contractors' Association opened yesterday morning, Mr. S. J. Clarke (president) to the chair. Apologies for absence were received from Messrs. W. F. Brooking (Taranaki) and K. Beeckam <Hawke's Bay). Delegates joined in congratulating their president, Mr. Clarke, on restoration to health after his late illness. • , .

Tlie Executive . Council, in presenting their annual report, congratulated delegates and the affiliated associations Upon the satisfactory settlement of the general.conditions of contract. After two days' conference, with representative- architects from the various centres, the main points in dispute were settled by agreement. Thanks to the manner in which the Hon. C. M. Luke, of Wellington, presided over the conference, the business -was expeditiously dealt with. ..ACCIDENT INSURANCE. Next to obtaining a satisfactory remodelling- of the ■ general conditions of contract, the most important event to tho affiliated associations during the year had .been-the securing of 3 substantial reduction ill the rates for accident insurance, and for this the/credit .•was almost entirely duo.to the president. The council tried by all fair and business methods to secure a reasonable modification of- the charges ina.de, in "Wellington/ but the combine of ! the local insurance companies would not abate its tariff .beyond a matter of 25., which, really ; meant. a reversion to tho rate prevailing prior to tho passing of the .-last -Workers' : Compensation Act. Under these circumstances ■ the pro-, •posal submitted through .the president by the Royal Insurance Company to give cover to all present and immediately prospective members for two years

at 135.-.63.' per £100 of wages was deemed highly favourable, and was at once accepted.- ..-...: r- ' A HARASSING PROPOSAL. The executive, has acted in conjunction with-the New Zealand Employers' Federation in vigorously opposing the proposal contained in the Education Amendment Bill (No. 2) that employers be compelled; to giv) young persons between the ages of 14 and IT years time off during working hours in order that they may attend day technical classes; _ The Minister for Education was .ultimately induced, to practically abandon the proposal, and it was hoped no more would be heard of it, but to the astonishment of tnose opposing the measure it is now rumoured that an attempt-will be made te reinsert the clause, during the passage of the Bill through the Legislative Council. If the Upper House persists in retaining the clauses'.it -may be. advisable for those. present at this conference to.go in a, body to the Government and protest against the further, harassing of employers by such proposals as this. : TRADE DISPUTES. ' ■..-. In several centres various trade sections of workers have invoked che aid. of the .conciliation and arbitration enactments to secure them hew working, conditions. It is desirable all members should realise that, in!yielding to the importunities and never-ceasing demands of tho workers for'more concessions, they are not only placing additional burdens upon themselves, but are giving to the same class of workers in all the other centres of the Dominion a weapon to wield against-. their employers.: Members are to be congratulated upon the present compara-. tive uniformity of the. : various, r .awards,: but _they must recognise that it is essential to all concerned that the workers should not be yielded to in their desire; to .break, down ,-thiS'. strong fence, to their'claims for increases or alterations. . . ...

Many of the craftsmen-emploved are members : of federations, formed by their trade sections, and it will be obvious to members that there is more hope of their succeeding in. securing better conditions, and pressing for their ultimate aims, by taking proceedings in each centre where they have to deal only with their employers, and where they hone that their. demands will he considered on,the basis;of local,conditions only,_ and without regard to' the other Dominion centres . UNIFORM AWARDS. This leads to the suggestion that the time has arrived when this federation Bhonld consider the advisability of adopting measures to.secure the conduct of trade disputes on uniform lines. It will no doubt be demonstrated, as time goes on, that the unions have fixed a definite objective, and the federation warns.its friends in each centre to beware of .making concessions, and that, the, safest, course to adopt is to abide by .existing; conditions, -provided of course these do not contain- inequitable provisions. The- annual report was adopted as presented, and a supplementary report, on timber: supplies, presented by Mr. Clarke, was.similarly dealt with. I

PROVINCIAL REMITS. , Mr.C.B. Thomson (Dune'din) moved: That, the Government be asked to make provision that- Public Works Department tenders bo opened in presence of tenderers,: and so-that unsuccessful tenderers may have their deposits re■ttrrned immediately; that the local engineer- be given a margin of;' say, 10 per cent-., to accept or otherwise, and to have the "right to retain two lowest tenders until contract signed." _ An amendment was inserted, providing that a tender be accepted or'rejected within thirty-one days. . In this form the motion was carried. , Tjjf following proposal sent forward by the Canterbury Association was moved by Mr. R. Nightingale, and seconded by Mr. J. H. Maynard :—"(a) That Government be asked to repeal the compulsory provision for bondsmen in connection with Public Works, contracts, and leave it optional for contractors to provide bondsmen or lodge a deposit, the amount of .the.deposit to. be increased if thought necessary." With the addition of a proviso: "That only the successful tendered be required to fill in-a schedule of'estimates, etc.,.. the: remit was'approved ' i othe^ L T^\ ts 7 ele adopted' as follow:—That the Government bo asked to make provision for reasonable compensation to contractors who may be required' to await arrival of Government ordered material, goods, or works of art.—'Wellington. That further efforts be made by each affiliated union to secure the adoption and, use of the new general conditions of contract by all local bodies.—Canterbury. That when tenders for works are called for all builders be advised to refuse to tender unless the works are to bo carried out under the new conditions of contract recently agreed upon. Tho Government, local bodies, and education boards are to be exempt from the above until some agreement has been arrived at with them—Dunedin. That, this association ask the New Zealand Institute of Architects to supply copies of the new conditions of contract to harbour boards, borough councils, and education boards at cost price.—Hawke's Bay. A Dunedin remit: That architects be -asked to supply schedules of quantities when calling for tenders for works (£7OO and over), and that any tenders made shall be based on tho quantities supplied in such schedules, was'lost. In its place the following amendment was carried:—"That this conference considers the supplying of schedules of quantities to be a matter for arrangement or agreement by each centre."

At 5.30 p.m. the conference adjourned until 10 o'clock on Thursday morning, when it is expected that the remaining business will be concluded at a forenoon sitting. To-day visitors and local delegates, with their friends, in all a party of sixty or seventy people, proceed on a drive ■ to. Wainui-o-mata. To-morrow afternoon is set apart for a match at bowls and a builders' "at home" on the green of the Wellington Bowling Club.

SMOKE CONCERT. THE "ALLIED AWARD" IDEA. After a day of labour on their conference business, the builders and contractors now assembled in Wellington spent a jovial night in' Godber's Rooms on Lambton .Quay last evening, when members of the local association, entertained the visiting delegates at a smoke concert. Mr. J. Nicholson, president of the Wellington Builders' and Contractors' Association, was chairman, with Mr. S. I. Clarke, president of the Federation, for his right-hand man. The company included some fifty or sixty builders and their guests. Among those present was the Wellington City Engineer, Mr. W. H. Morton. Apolo*gics for absence were received from'the i'remier and the Mayor.. . Mr. W. •H. Bennett proposed the health of the visiting delegates, coupling the toast, with the names of Messrs. S. I. Clarke (Auckland), and J. H. Maynard (Canterbury). Mr. . Clarke proposed "The Civic Authorities," coupled with the name of Mr. W. H. Morton. ..Wellington, Mr. Clarke remarked, was fortunate in the nianagement of its .civic affairs. It impressed all visitors as being a go-, ahead place. .What had .been accomplished by Mr., Morton in Wellington spoke all that need bo said in his praise. "The Architects" was proposed by Mr. A. Campbell, and Messrs. J. C. Charlesworth and A. Atkins responded. The toast, of "Allied Trades" was proposed by Mr. J. Trevor, and responded to by Messrs. R. W.. Ramsay and F. N. Marley.

The toast of the Labour Unions was proposed by Mr. L. S. Humphries. It was no use, he said, trying to ignore the fact that organisations of men, wliother employers or workers, had come to stay. If. one : wished to get anything for. his .own particular line of trade at this time of day there was only one way to get it, and that was by organisation. , To' the- speaker's mind these trade organisations should go a good' deal' furt-jier. , N.o trade should be split up into detail factions as was now the- case .with both employees and employers. There were builders now working under eleven different awards, a stateof affairs that gave rise to endless friction: and trouble. Builders were sufficiently employed with; ■■ their work' without trying to keep eleven long-winded awards in. their heads. Often they committed a breach quite inadvertently,, and .it did not help to create good feeling between, masters and men. A great effort should be made by employers in the different departments of the building, trades to form . themselves into a closer union. Further, the assistance of the labour unions should be-.sought with a view to getting an allied trades award, covering, the whole of the building trade, except. in' the matter of wages. Systematic working was 'impossible where, as in Wellington, men went away from a job at different hours, and observed different holidays., Mr. Humphries expressed a hope that the labour unions represented at their gathering', would endeavour to get into closer touch with one another and assist the employers to arrive at the mutual agreement he had sketched. .

Mr. F. Royling (Painters' Union) expressed general approval.of the allied trades award proposal, but.assured his 'auditors that until a'-forty-four hours' week was provided, the painters would not be'prepared to come in. Mr. G. ; Hopwood responded on behalf of the PJasterers'"Unionj'. but did not touch the question of 'an allied,award. . Items in a capital entertainment programme were 'contributed by Messrs. Oallaghan, Foster, Herron, Ward, Healy, Harper, W. H. Bermett, F. Watkms, Meuli, Trevor, Beck, and W. H. Morton. Mr. John Allen was a capable accompanist.