SKILLED CARPENTERS
Shortage In Wellington District The shortage of skilled carpenters in Wellington and the extent to which the position was being worsened by the fact that vsry few tradesmen were now arriving from other districts, was stressed by Mr. D. R. Rankin, representing the district -manpower officer, during the hearing by the Wellington Industrial Manpower Committee yesterday of an appeal by a serviceman recently released from the R.N.Z.A-F. against his direction to employment with T. S. Sparks, builder. The committee, which consisted of Messrs. A. W. Croskery (chairman), P. Coyle and J. Arthurs, reserved its decision. , Appellant, a carpenter, had been released for the express purpose of work on housing construction, said Mr. Rankin, but he had gone to his former work as a ship’s carpenter. In the Wellington and Hutt districts there were vacancies for some 200 carpenters, and more than 50 urgent demands for such tradesmen appeared on the Wellington manpower officer’s priority list each week. Government trainees, who had not been accepted with enthusiasm at one stage, were now being eagerly sought. A further deterioration in the position was due to the fact that very few tradesmen were now arriving here from other districts. Furthermore, some tradesmen who had been away fom their homes for several years were being allowed to return. One of the bottlenecks in housing construction at present was the difficulty in securing sufficient skilled tradesmen with whom to place the labourers now coming forward. The secretary of the Wellington Carpenters’ Union, Mr. Jamieson, who appeared in support of the appeal, said his union regarded housing as number one priority job, and encouraged every available man into it. Appellant, however, desired to put his own home in order, but would find this difficult if directed to. a five and a half days a week job. The builing of one’s own home was a valuable contribution to the housing problem.
Appellant said he was in business in the building trade before he joined the armed forces. He was given time to wind it up. He wanted time now to earn good money so as to get back into business. He could not do so under the present direction. He gave evidence also on the point of alterations to his own home. Mr. Arthurs pointed out that appellant had been released specifically for housing construction work. The committee would be acting in direct contradiction to the reasons for the release if it upheld the appeal. Further, it would be probable that appellant would be remobilized. Appellant said he did about as much work in the air force in a week as an ordinary man would do in a day. He was of the opinion that when a serviceman was released from the armed forces he was entitled to go back to his old job, also to get assistance. Mr. Rankin said that such was only the case when a serviceman received his discharge papers. Those released on indefinite leave without pay were to be directed to essential work. When the builder gave evidence that he had men engaged on a defence construction job as well as on housing, Mr. Arthurs said he was not satisfied. That meant no improvement in housing construction, for which appellant and others were being released from the armed forces. It. could lead to a position where builders could use men for other jobs.
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Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 226, 21 June 1944, Page 6
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563SKILLED CARPENTERS Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 226, 21 June 1944, Page 6
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