LIVE AND LET LIVE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 253, 13 July 1918, Page 8

LIVE AND LET LIVE

r Sir,—l notice by this week'a "Auck--5 land Weekly News" that the Hon. G. W. Russell is suggesting that the Govern,l ment should employ one architect to do j the architectural work for the whole of 9 the hospital boards. He says the Govt eminent Architect for other public buildings receives .£750 per annum, and t does all the architectural work, but noto he does not say what staff of (i draughtsmen, clerks of works, etc., and i what their salaries, etc.. cost the country annually. Now, Sir, in these times -- of difficulty in. making ends meet, and A during the war, does it not seem unjust for the Minister to suggest taking away s tho living of those architects who find c the few fcos derived from designing hosf pitsil work a little assistance to their al--0 ready paltry annual income? I know h of many architects who, during this last two years of tho war period, have not i- earned the wiytM of n wharf labourer. i- The Government have practically stopi> ped building project*, and high cost of c material has stopped private work. I 11 feel sure that when the cost levied upon 1. hoards by the board's own nrchitecte i- (who generally supervise their own work and thereby save clerk of works' fees) d are taken into consideration, they will 'i tally out much less than expensive Gov- ■- eminent architect's fees, olerk of works' 11 waRC3, and other incidental 'expenses, 1- and besides tonderors always allow a '■ greater margin of "profit and contingencies" when tendering under a Govern- '<• ment architect, to say nothing of cer- <• tain costly methods of construction often e nipt with in Government designs, but ! - seldom used by private architects. In !" any caso I feel 6ure the boards generi" ally are not looking for such a change, and so long as the architect complies s with the requirements of the Health Do--0 nartment there is nothing to be gained ; " by Mr. Russell's suggestions, and I feel ': sure the Institute of Architects wonld ' not favour tho idea of work being taken ,? from the members of their profession, 11 who are all hit eo badly these times. That nn inspector is wanted to supervise tho administration of hospitals to prevent waste and help run the institutions on more businesslike lines is quite and other matter, and a good susjjreetion likely to be adopted by tho Minister, but I

trust that at least while the war lasts and until building generally becomes normal the Minister will not literally take the bread out of tho mouths of the architects who get some work only occasionally'from tho boards, and it is generally bucli that the paltry fees (the only wtiges not raised during war times) are earned ten tiiivs' over in this hospital designing. In any ease, I hope the Institute of Architects will not tolerate such unfairness without protesting.—l am, etc., FAIR PLAY.