BUILDERS CONFER

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20738, 23 February 1939, Page 11

BUILDERS CONFER

DOMINION MEETING many matters discussed FIXATION OF WAGE RATES Many matters of importance to thi building industry were discussed a the annual conference of Hie \'e" Zealand Federation of Builders am

Contractors’ Association in Hamilton yesteerdav. when remits from all parts of the I)oruinlon came up for consideration. The president of tlie association, Mr W. A. Petrie, presided. An Auckland remit, to the effecl that the conference affirm the desirability of advising - employers’ advocate* In connection with build'nc* trad* awards in the Court, of Arbitration or concilation councils to urge that rate* of wages be fixed for a longer term than one year, was carried withoul comment. The recommendation from Wellington that steps be taken in an endeavour to standardise all building trade* awards was taken in conjunction will the Taranaki remit that the lorn, drivers employed in connection with timbpr yards be exempted from thr drivers' award and be brought xvithir the scope nf a timber workers’ award Both remits were carried. Opposition to the Auckland remit that the Government he asked to provide that deposits lodged in connecttion with contracts in the Public Works and other Government departments he returned to contractors with

their first progress payments was voiced, and the remit was lost. A similar smrtrestion from Dunedin was also defeated.

The opinion that a period of 12 months’ maintenance was unduly long was expressed by Mr Johns Canterbury' when presenting a suggestion that representations be made, to the Institute of Architects, the Public Works Department, the Government. Housing branch, the Railways Department and the Education Department that the period of maintenance should not exceed GO dnvs. and that the

amount retained should not exceed £l5O.

Mr A. Fletcher (Wellington) opposed the final clause, and with its deletion the remit was carried. “It is unfair that a contractor should be liable for fire insurance after the owners have taken possession,” said Mr Fletcher when supporting a Wellington remit to the effect that the federation should protest to the Public Works Department against their interpretation of the insurance clause whereby they insisted that, the contractor was liable for fire insurance during the full period of maintenance.

The remit was carried. It was decided, on receipt of a suggestion from Canterbury, to draw the attention of the Institute of Architects to the practice adopted by architects in inserting special clauses which overrode the conditions of contract.