STELL CONTRACTS

Hokitika Guardian, 20 March 1930, Page 3

STELL CONTRACTS

N.Z. IRONMASTERS. (By Telegraph—Per Press Association DUNEDIN, March 19. The New Zealand Federated Iror masters held their annual conferenc in Dunedin to-day, when Mr Georg Gray (Dunedin) was elected President and Air A. Cable (Wellington) Vice ’ President. In the late afternoon the delegate; waited oil Hon. Air Taverner (Minis ter of Railways) in connection wit! matters arising out of the placing o orders for engineering supplies. All G. Gray (President) introduced tin deputation. Mr A. Burt (Dunedin) said that tin Government was calling for tender? for bridge steel cut to various lengths for different parts of New Zealand. It was felt by the Association that it was the intention of the Department to'' utilise the railway workshops to ifabricate this material. ]f so the members of the Association, with a fair amount of capital involved and giving employment, to a considerable number of men, would like the Government to assist the industry of structural engineering all it could. It was only with the help of the Government and the Municipal Departments that they could hope to carry, on their efforts to keep their men employed, and they asked the Government to consider the matter and give the ironmasters who were prepared to supply and fabricate the material a chance. The

Association represented engineerin' firms from Auckland to the Bluff, am they were satisfied they would get ai honest hearing from the Minister. Mr ( J. Sparrow (Dunedin) Mr E. H Drew (Porti Chalmers), and Mr G. N Hall (Christchurch) addressed tin Minister on different points, the last named stressing the advisability ol tin Government supporting local industry The Minister, in reply, said it wai the definite and daily policy of tin Government to liny in New Zealanc and to support N-mv Zealand industry ami aft Q r that to buy in England TT e had laid it down as a definite po licv in the Railway Department to sup nort local industry. and he had consci’en'ciouslv carried out that policy foi ho past twelve months. His Departmental officers were aware of -it. and were acting in accordance with his desires. and i'f they wen* there at tin 1 minute, they would admit that/- that was so. Generally sneaking, he believed the same volley was beino- fol-'ou-cj .'it other Departments. AA’ith regard to alleged red tape, he could only speak in regard to the Departments over which he presided and he could assure them that it did not apply there. As to bridge contraction, previous to the present Government taking office, the tenders of this kind were oalled for in London, but this Government had altered that practice, and tjie tenders were now called for in New Zealand and London. .Recently lie let two contracts ,for. bridges, the total nriee being £60,000 or £70,000, and incue case he gave, a preference of £ISOO to keep the work in • New Zealand, that work was being fabricated by

Price Bros., of Thames. It would be seen, therefore, lie was anxious to do what the deputation asked for, and he would continue to do so. Bridges were renewed in steel, and a large sum was annually spent in that way. The programme set down called for expenditure of about £IOO.OOO a year for next tpu years, which meant , a large amount of that,class of work. On the other hand, he wished the deputation to realise what the State had spent on the construction of the new railway workshops where this work was done. The sum expended on the completion oifi the workshop in New Zealand was £2,279,459, and the deputation would understand that to obtain a fair return on the equipment provided, the workshop must, if possible, he fully employed. That was they must be employed to an economic level. He would not go beyond that level, and if the work could he done more economically outside the shops, it would he done outside. The ironmasters were faced with the problem of retaining their skilled workers. The Government was in the same position, though it was

nureter ior me ntate to ui&pcuac nun its workers skilled or otherwise, then it was his job to keep the .shops going and to utilise them to the fullest possible extent. He asked them, as business men. could any other policy be subscribed to by him at the present time P While the work could be done economically in the shops, it would he done there, hut when the economic level was exceeded, or when’ work was required in a hurry, or it must go outside. As to calling for supplies in the provincial districts, he thought this proposal was open to serious objection. Tf the ironmasters bad the material lying in their yards they should he in a good position to advantageously quote for supplies. Tf a slight perference was necessary, they would get it. He did not think they would ask the Minister to go beyond that. Before the deputation retired, Mr Sparrow remarked that he had been through the workshops at Hillside. “They are fine shops,” he added, “and up-to-date, and we ought to be proud of them.” The Minister said he was glad to hear that view from a gentleman in Mr Sparrow’s position.