PARLIAMENT'S NEW HOME

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2584, 5 October 1915, Page 11

PARLIAMENT'S NEW HOME

A COMPLAINT OF WORKMEN

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?

Determined efforts have been made on different occasions to induce the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. W. 1' laser) to vary the terms of his contact with tlip firm who are erecting; Parliament Buildings. Some time ago tile works were held) up because of the railifre of the supply of marble. An effort was made to fasten blame for tins on the Minister and the GovernmenV and Mr. Eraser was asked to do something—no definite suggestions were made—to enable a number of men thrown out of work to be kept in employment. Recently a similar request has been made on behalf of a few plasterers. „ Iwo difficulties have cropped up. lhere is a shortage of lime of the right kind, which has to be imported, and the other difficulty is that in terms of the contract plastering cannot be' done in tie ground floor part of the building until the floor above is sealed' and mado waterproof. .

. In , t !', e Hcrase yesterday Dr. Newman asked the Minister whether he could see his way to have the plasterers put on at work inside or outside the building, instead of having them roaming about idle. He referred to the fact that the j ? that no damage would he done by the work continuing. The Hon. W. Eraser said that the putting of the men on to work did not lie with the Minister of Public Works. A contract had been, let for the construction of the building, and it was for the contractor to employ the men. If he , was/advised that the work ought not to go on, he certainly would not agree thatit sliould go on. He had had a conference with the men, and as a result of that, conference he had instructed the, •architect to give him a report on the request made, and until he had a report made he certainly would not agree to the. work going on. With regard to lime, if it was possible to get as good lime locally as we could import lie would agree to the use of New Zealand lime. But this building -was not like a courthouse or a stable, or any ordinary building. For this building they must have the best procurable. He would take; no substitute, and nothing of inferior quality. Nor would he allow work to be done in any slipshod manner, so.that it. would have to be taken down and done over again. Members of the House would be the first to condemn him for anything of the sort, and quite rightly. And lie was not going to. take the views of a» few plasterers as evidence. The men made their statements in . good faith, no doubt, but their statements could not be accepted as against the evidence of the architects. He had, however, asked the. District Engineer to put these men on at .Porirua or some. other works if possible. But it would- be quite wrong for him '(Mr. Fras.er) to say to the contractors, "Put these men on." He was not going to allow the'contrac-. tors. to go on with, any work which would not be the best that could possibly be done.

Mr. Fraser stated later that he had' received a memorandum from the District Engineer to'state that he !had engaged to find work !for two of : tlie four, plasftrers on the Taranaki Street Police Station, and two on the building at Porirua, and that th? men were perfect: ly satisfied.

Mr. H. 6. Ell also referred ,to the enforcedl delay in the works! in.'a question he addressed to the Prime Minister. Ho pointed out thtt' : ,tfte ppntrac--tors maintained that tlie'plastering could be done without fear of deterioration or staining of the work, and that so sure were they " that no aamage'Yoiild 'ensue that they would undertake to make good any d&mage. He urged the Minister to see that the building; was not held Hp. , .....

The Right Hon. W. F Massey said that the difficulty seemed to be- that there was a difference of opinion be-tween-the contractors and the Government Architect.. The contractors were of opinion t!liat it would be safe-to go on with'plastering before the roof was put on, and the architect thought that it would not be safe. What was the Minister of Public -Works to do in such circumstances? The Minister of Public Works—lie was' not' referring specially to - the present - Minister of Public , Works—jvas not an expert, but the country had provided him with a staff of experts, whose advice on technical matters he was ex-> pected to take. The Goyenjinent Architect had held his. position-.'for ..many years,' and was reputed to be a competent officer. What would_ the country say if the Minister of Public' Works did anything contrary ■to his advice? "He thought the honourab'e member fori Christ-church South would .. agree that this would be a very foolish and a very improper thing todo.