A BOARD OF CONTROL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2396, 27 February 1915, Page 11

A BOARD OF CONTROL

FOR BUILDING CLASSES. An interesting proposal—to set up a Board of Control in connection with the building trade students —was discussed. at a meeting of the Wellington Technical Education Board last night. The suggestion came in a letter from tho secretary of the Wellington Builders' and Contractors' Association (Mr. W. A. W. Grenfell) as under:—. • "The question of the establishment of a Board of Control in connection with the training of youths in carpentry, joinery, building construction, etc., has bean discussed by members of this association, and the advisability of setting up such a board in association with your body, on the same lines as the electrical and plumbers' boards,' is being considered. r In the recent agreement entered into between- the Dominion. Master Builders' and the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters' and Joiners a provision has been -inserted that employers shall pay an additional 2s. per week to apprentices who gain a two-year oourse certificate in any technical college. lam writing this to ask if you will be good enough to inform me of the several branches of study carried on in your school that might be controlled by a Builders' Board of Control, and of what steps it is necessary to take to secure the formation of such a board. lam not aware whether soch board exists in other oentres or not, but I believe the initiation of such a board here would lead to the formation of similar ones in other centres, and perhaps beget a much-needed greater interest in the proper training of good tradesmen. That earnest efforts should He made, in the Dominion to enoourage our youths to learn and follow up the brancnes of tha building trades is demonstrated by the last two census returns. I have personally analysed the _ figures given in the ccnsus to ascertain the proportion. of apprentices in the several branches of the building trade to the number of men employed. '.I find as follows: According to the 1906 census there was one apprentice to every 20 men employed. The 1911 census shows there was one apprentice to evry 20 men employed. This clearly shows we are not producing journeymen in keeping with our requirements, and in my opinion this points to the urgent need for greater encouragement being given to our boys to take up the practical I shall be obliged for any information you may be able to supply me with bearing on tho subject matter of this letter." *

The Director of Technical Education (Mr. W. S. La Trohe), to whom the letter had been sent, said that at one time they had very good building classes, but the attendance had dropped away, and now they only had smallclasses. The chairman (Mr. D. Robertson) said that the architects wanted something similar in' connection . with the architectural classes. He thought that a combined hoard would bo better, for, ai arohitect should also be a practical builder. Mr. J. P. Luke moved that the-di-rector should bring down a good covering report, dealing with the whole subject. If they could do anything at all to further the interests , of apprentices he thought it was their duty to do it. ■ Mr. G. Frost thought that the suggestion was a good one. The .voungi rcen now were not learning the building trade with the dog re e or proficiency of the past. There was too much jerrybuilding going on now.

The chairman suggested thai they should communicate with the architects and the builders, and see if they could have a joint board, consisting of one or two representatives of'the-architects-and one or two representatives of the Builders' Association. Mr. Lnke said that a.great deal of education in building construction was yet to be imported. They were passing from a wood building "age to a' stone building age, and new conditions would have to be learnt. •' Mr. La Trobe < said that he had no doubt the Architects' Board of Control would want to have some direot connection with these classes. It was agreed that the director should bring down an ample report on the subject-' Mr. W. H. Field: What has been said to-night seems to point not only ■tj the necessity for the board, but'to the absolute need for it. :