ENGLISH TRADESMEN ARRIVE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 25, 22 October 1937, Page 7

ENGLISH TRADESMEN ARRIVE

-Press Association.)

Guaranteed Work on Housing Schemes "WE WANT FRIENDLY FEELINGS"

(By Telegraph—

AUCKLAND, Last Night. ~ Under a three-year agreement with the Fletcher Construction Co., Ltd., 40 ■carpenters from the United Kingdom arrived by the Rangitihi from London to work in New Zealand. A few othors arrived in Wellington recently, and 40 more are expected to come by the Ruahine, which arrives in Wellington nest Tuesday. There will be 100 altogether. Most of those who came by tho Rangitiki wero young jo'urneymen between 20 and 30 years of age, and soven are married. Some said, if they liked the countrv, they probably would Istay. A few seenied a trifle uncertain of the reception they would have from tho New Zealand trades unions, according to what they said on the Rangitiki just before they disembarked. They answered advertisements which appeared in English newspapers about three months ago. They wrote to the High Commissioner in London to discover the working conditions in the Dominion, and were told they would receive 2s 6Jd an hour and would he guaranteed work for three years on various housing sehemes. Most of them had had experience in similar schemes in different parts of England and were interested in the prospect of working in a new country. A few are from London, but tho majority appear to hail from the North of England. One is a Greek from Cyprus. All paid their own fares to New Zealand. . They expected some would he retained to work on the State housing schemes in Auckland, while others would go to Wellington, but inquiries made at the office of the Fletcher Construction Company showed .the greator number would_ be sent to Wellington. In any event, they agreed before they lef; London to go to places outsido the main centres, including locations agi'eed upon by the Public Works Departmenfc for schemes which may be decided upon at a later date. Some of the new arrivals said they iwondered what would be the attitude of !the New Zoalanders toward them, as 'they had heard advertisements in English papers f?r carpenters and joiners had brought a great deal of criticism from eertaiu quarters. "We were told in England there was ,a shortagc of journeymen in New Zealand," said one, "ancLas the conditions jout here are a good deal .better than they are at Home, or so wo were told, we thought we Would try it out. From what I can gather the news of our coming has not been too well receivod by a ,£ew people who are afraid we shall bo taking work from New Zealanders. "How can we do tkat when' your officials told us thero was a shortage of men in the building trade? We are coming to a country that is strange to most of us and we^want to be as happy as we can. We hope the feelings of the New Zealanders who work with us will be as friendly as ours are to them. ' ' Mr. Williaua. Fletcher, princlpal of the firm which has entered into an agreement with the men, stated that in no wise was the Government involved. The dompany had need of competent tradesmen, and as this need could not be fulflllsd by Dominion tradesmen, it had been decided to advertise for tradesmen in the United Kingdom. The issue was a perfectly simple ono hetween the ,firm and the men who applied for tho |joh.