"NO QUESTION OF BIAS"

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 37, 27 February 1937, Page 5

"NO QUESTION OF BIAS"

— Press Association.)

Builder *s Reply to Accusation

(By Telegraph

TIMARU, Last Nigjht. Interviewed to-night concerning a statement by the Prime Minister that the men who passed the tresolution concerning th© housing scheme were .biased, Mr W. Petrie, president oi the New Zealand Federation of Builders and Contractors, said that, when the housing scheme was being considered by the conference, there was no question of bias in the minds of any of their members. They had endeavoured at all times to be helpful insofar as they had been given any possible- opportunity. They did claim, however, that the soheme had been somewhat rushed by the Government and that further consideration should have been given from various angles — v (1) A full investigation should have be-jn made of the schemes promoted in other parts of -the world. (2) The survey now being asked for by the Government should have been completed and considered before the scheme was launched. (3) The co-operation of all those directly connected with the indu6try should have \been sought. (4) Tenders should have been called for in such a manner as not to eliminate any reputable builder. Mr Petrie said that his federation was and always hpd been, anxious to assist the Government with any scheme that would produce good houses for the people. They wished to assure the Prime Minister that they were serious in their contention that the method of tenderinjr had caused a large increase in prices and they repeated theif 'offer t« build for considerably less than the prices available under the 4ystem of tendering used in connection with the recent contracts.