“NOT UNDERSTOOD!”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 580, 5 February 1929, Page 1

“NOT UNDERSTOOD!”

STONEMASONS EXPLAIN

REASONS FOR WORK STOPPAGE CRITICISM ANSWERED Statements made to The Sun on Sat- ; urday by Mr. Davidson, acting-chief engineer for the Railway Department, •md Mr. Ford, the department s architect, in respect to the stonemasons’ deadlock have been replied to in an official statement issued by the stone—- " The only conclusion we can arrive at,” they say, “is that these -gentlemen do not understand the case in dispute. ; "So that no further misunderstandings | may arise, we give the following in- ! formation and particulars, trusting that by so doing, no further mis-statements will be made in connection with our ease. We have certain clauses in our award for the specific purpose of safeguarding the health of the men working at the trade, and pneumatic machines are limited to Hin calibre, i This limit was agreed upon by the masons and their employers in coneili iation. inserted in our award, and accepted as the maximum inconvenience caused by dust and vibration to which, the men should be subjected. "We have a further clause agreed to in conciliation stating that these machines shall be kept 30ft away fro mthe nearest bench, or banker as they are called in our trade, ostensibly for the purpose oe protecting the lives and health of the men working in the vicinity. These clauses have been ift our award for come considerable time, and up to last year were complied with by the employers. "When the new railway station contract was started, pneumatic machines of two-inch calibre were introduced. These machines are considerably in excess of the lj-inch maximum allowed by our award, ard the vibration was so excessive that the men were compelled to take ac:ion, in the interests of their health. “We have not made any claim for an increase in wages to continue to work these machines, nor do we intend to do so. This is a question of life and health, and no increase of pay could compensate us for the injury we should suffer in a very short time by operating these machines. “Mr. Ford says vve are acting foolishly. Obviously, he cannot understand why we object to these machines, and we trust these remarks will make him better acquainted with the matter in dispute. DANGER TO HEALTH “Noise and vibration as a menace to human life and efficiency are questions that are being discussed throughout the world at the present time. Scientists and doctors have been investigating the effects upon the human system, and their conclusions are that unless something is done the workers might become deaf, or even insane. Sir Robert Armstrong Jones says it causes, among other things, acute nervous agony. Professor Spooper, of th© London Polytechnic, says it deprives workers and others of recuperative sleep. The London Daily Mail’ is conducting a vigorous campaign against the noise and vibration, and mention is made of the fact that builders are making matters worse by the adoption of pneumatic drills, etc. Yet. Mr. Ford says, the Auckland stonemasons, who by practical experience know that the statements made by the above-named scientists are correct, are acting foolishly in refusing to work these devices.

“Of course, his argument is that machinery is necessary to keep pace with the present demand Tor cheaper building. Our reply is: *We cannot allow the health of the worker to bo menaced for the purpose of introducing machinery. The cost is too great. Further, vve wish to emphasise that wo are not opposed to machinery on account of the volume of work it turns out, and in proof of that, there are stone-working machines which have been introduced in Auckland during the last four years which, are doing considerably more work than the particular machines now in dispute, and we have not raised any objection to them because, by their operation, the worker is not exposed to danger. POPULARITY OF STONE “We can assure Mr. Ford that it is not our intention to hold up the building, and we have been prepared to carry on flur part of the work uncer the conditions prevailing before the introduction of the two-inch machines. We point out also that th« whole of the granite on the Auckland War Memorial Museum was dressed by hancL Firms here submitted prices for the granite on the station job which were as low as that accepted, and they had no intention of using the pneu-. matie machines, so we cannot sec tlio' argument that it is necessary to us« these machines on account of cost. • Mr. Davidson declined to remark, upon the rights and wrongs of the and then immediately criticised us by, saying our present attitude was regretable in view of the fact that we had appealed to him and the architects to have stone, included in the design. We did interview them, and our case wa.< that the British Government used, stone for practically all their permanent buildings, and it is recognised that stone is the only material in keeping uiiii the dignity and importance o£ such buildings. We anticipate that the same ideas will be adopted in Zeuiand as time goes on, and we still regret that our critics did not realise this in time to build the new railway station in stone. ’ We cannot agree that the present deadlock should influence the Railway Department in its attitude to stonework. In the future the durability and permanence of the materials used should be the determining factor and in support of that, we find Mr. ’Ford saying granite was picked because, of all the materials known, stone was th** best for permanency and wear in such a position.’ ”