SHORTAGE OF PLUMBERS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3023, 9 March 1917, Page 6

SHORTAGE OF PLUMBERS

NEED OF ORGANISATION

DEPUTATION TO THE

MINISTER

A deputation representing AVel-. lmgton master plumbers waited on tho Minister of Public Health (the Hon. G-. AV. Bussoll) yesterday, to point out to him a danger threatening to tho community by tho conscription of plumbers for military service.

Mr. Judd said those present represented tho plumbers of AVclliiigton, as well as tho plumbers of New Zealand as a whole. Owing to the war a largo number of registered men had enlisted, and they desired, to bring the position that was being created bv tho continued depiction of their ranks before the Minister, as if allowed to go on it would in time affect tho health of tho community. If men were taken indiscriminately for the forces it. would ultimately prove very detrimental 1« tho health of tho city. The position was most acute, and it seemed to be impossible to ipbtain registered plumbers to tako the 1 places of tho men going away. *

Mr. Ballinger spoko of tho decision of the Military Service Board in Wellington in tho cases of appeals by plumbers. From tho way in which tho board had treated tho first cases, he had thought that registered men were going to be exempted from service, but subsequent events had proved otherwise. They reckoned there were 150 plumbers in AVcllington, and out of that number 44 had enlisted, which ho thought compared more than favourably with tho enlistments in any other trade. Tho list of registered men in 1916 showed a .total of 978, and in 1917 tho total was' 932. Ho assumed that the decrease was due to men having gone to tho front.

Tho Minister said that was only 4 per cent, of the number registered, which to date was 961. Ho asked whether the machinery for creating registered plumbers was sufficient to provido for tho wants of tho country in normal times.

Mr. Ballinger said it was not. Through agitation the number of boys an employer could have had been reduced, and "in addition some of tho boys had'gone to the front. He really did not know what they were going' to do if further depletion was allowed! Another speaker said they had advertised throughout the Dominion for men, but found it impossible to get any unless exorbitant wages were offered.

The Minister said he had given careful consideration to : tho matter. In the first place ho wished to make it quite clear that the Plumbers'. Registration Board was a statutory body, and not under tho control of. any Minister. He also wished to mat* clear tho position regarding tho Military Service .Act. Tho Government had no power to exempt men or classes of men. Parliament had the responsibility of passing the Act in its present form, and was the only body which could alter or amend it. Parliament had placed the responsibility of saying who should bo exempted upon tho Military Service Boards. He pointed oiit the provisions under which an employer couldf 'appeal on behalf of his men, but that the decision rested entirely with the boards. He referred to the action taken by the Government in the case of miners, who were being exempted by the boards because they belonged to an immediately essential industry. He had stated elsewhere, and would repeat it, that in his opinion certain classes should have beeii exempted in the Act, but Parliament must accept the responsibility of saying wliich classes they should he. As a member of the Government he was totally opposed to any action on the part of the Government which would result in exempting persons who are not exempted by the Act. The responsibility of giving exemption should rest with Parliament. Ho quite realised the position they had put before him, but ho wished to point out that a similar state of affairs was being represented! to the Government by other trades and professions. The Government was therefore faced with this question: Were they going to keep up the reinforcements, with all that ' that meant to the Empire-at present, or were they going to grant the exemptions desired and fall in arrears with their supplies of men? They would all agree that the military needs were paramount at the present time. With regard to meeting, the shortage of registered plumbers, lie pointed out that tho list, of registered plumbers to date showed a shortage of only 29, as against last year's figures, and that reduction was spread over the whole Dominion. New men were all the timo; coming on, and these would help to fill up tho vacancies. The Department had advised him that there were 110 registered plumbers known to be away with the Expeditionary Forces. So far as they could ascertain. 21 had been killed in action. There were 69, registered men who had retired or were away from Now Zealand. In addition, there were 66 who had not made application to have their names included in the list. Perhaps by mobilising the, plumbers they would be able to place them where most required, and thus cope with tho work. Nothing could 1 be done without organisation. He suggested to those present that the union should itself set up an organisation under which they would have tho name of every registered plumber in their district. Tho question of satisfactorily placing tho men could then bo tackled, and by working with tho Government they would be able to assist in what might prove later on to bo necessary, namely, a closer control of the plumbing trade. No doubt-there wero registered) men in some of the small towns who did not devote all their time to the work of registered men, and who could be transferred to tho larger centres. Tho war had shattered all their preconceived ideas about a man being the master of his own liberty. His answer to their representations, therefore, was that be could! not interfere with the Military Service Boards with a view to securing exemption for registered plumbers, becauso he had no power to do so, and because ho was not prepared to differentiate between various classes of the community in matters of this kind. Ho would suggest Uhat they consider tho question of organising the plumbing trade with a view to meeting tho position that had arisen. Tho deputation thanked the Minister and promised their support to the Government should it become necessary to organise the trado in the manner outlined.