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Progress, Volume XIII, Issue 2, 1 October 1917, Page 48

CHRISTCHTJRCH.

During August the permits issued for buildings were as follows: —Central ward (Inner) '2 permits, value £6,320; (.outer), 5 permits, value £1,430; St. Albans, 14 permits, value £5,425; Linwood, 7 permits, value £3,330; Sydenham 2 permits, value £450. Total 30 permits valued at £19,955. i Tenders were called for additions to Nurses' Home at the Ghristchurch Hospital by Messrs. Collins and Harman, architects, during the month, and Messrs. Panton and Sons, archi tieets of Timaru called for lenders for additional insulated storage at the New Zealand Refrigerating Coy.'a Burnside. Works (Dunedin). Messrs. England Bros, also called for tenders for the erection of Catholic School, Ferry Road. Some interesting statements were made in Christchurch at the recent hearing of the Plumbers' Dispute which apply gen erally to all allied building trades. Mr. ,1. S. Douglas, master plumber, in speaking on the apprentice question said that he was of opinion that every inducement should be made to get young men into the trade. He also thought that apprentices should be encouraged to take advantage of technical education, though were they compelled to attend those classes in the daylime it would be a serious matter for the trade. If the employers had to give such time to apprentices, Saturday morning would be the most suitable. The time for attendance at the classes might perhaps be that when an apprentice was most required at his work. The witness was also in favour of a probationary period for apprentices, and of'a recognised body being authorised by the Court for the purpose of granting certificates. J. 11. Howell, director of the Technical College, said that six plumbers' apprentices were at present taking the course at the college. If the Court decided that apprentices shauld take their classes on Saturday mornings, witness had no doubt that the Board of Governors of the College would be pleased to make arrangements accordingly. .1. D. Colville, master plumber said with regard to the demand for time off for technical instruction —two half-days— that he opposed it at present, because of the restrictions that the Union sought to impose on employers, such as the fairly lengthly period that an apprentice must work under the supervision of a journeyman. The restrictions of the New Zealand Clumbers' Registration Board such as the provision that no certificate shall be issued to an apprentice until he has completed his sixth year, was another reason. Witness said that he would be willing to pay school fees for night classes, and increased wages on condition that the apprentice earned all possible capitation, and showed satisfactory progress by passing his examinations.