SCHOOL BUILDINGS

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 22, 26 January 1921, Page 7

SCHOOL BUILDINGS

DIRECT LABOUR SYSTEM. ADVOCATED ISY DEPARTMENT. (By Telegraph.— I'rees Association.) WELLIXGTON, Tuesday. The conference summoned by the Minister of Education to consider the cost and methods of the erection of school buildings was opened by the lion. V. J. Parr, who Btated that largo grants were being approved, and in some cases the boards seemed to 'be competing against themselves. The tender system seemed to have failed. He found that he was unable to rely upon estimates of cost of school buildings, and often after a grant had been approved, had to request Cabinet to agree to an additional sum. Four out of nine Education Boards were now doing their own work almost wholly. These were Taranaki, Wanganui, Canterbury and Southland. They all agreed the system yielded good results, and they would not abandon it in favour of a return to the tender system. The system of nine boards erecting buildings for which the money was provided by the State was anomalous, but he did not wish to alter it if it could be made efficient. He wished the boards to assist him in making it efficient, and he particularly asked them to consider the direct labour method. Where boards wished to do their own work he would be willing to make a grant where necessary for the provision and equipment of workshops. %

Addresses were also delivered by Mr. Spencer, officer in charge of school buildings, and Mr. Mair, Education Department architect. The latter recommended direct labour and the small contract system for the erection of schools.

Mr. Mair, the Department's architect, addressed the conference with reference to the cost of building and the delay of the contract system. He outlined the methods adopted to replace the tender system, and referred especially to the American tenders mentioned by the Minister. The builder's fee was generally 7 to 10 per cent., and the builder was inclined to be careful in his estimate by being penalised by the reduction of his fee if the estimate were exceeded. When the work was done cheapoi*4haii the estimate a percentage on the saving was allowed to the builder. Continuing, Mr. Mair set out the form of contract in detail, and said he was convinced that the boards would have no difficulty in having the work carried out under the system. He discussed the need for employing a contractor at all, and stated that contractors now let a great ileal of work in small contracts to other sections of the building trades, lie believed that the direct labour system would result in better work aud the use of better material.

There should be no difficulty about labour, as the Minister had the assurance of one member of the Building Trades Federation that the federation would endeavour to provide labour for schools in preference to private buildings.

Before the conference went into committee for general discussion of the business, Mr. T. Foreyth (Wellington Board) congratulated the Minister upon the good work he had already done, and thanked him for eajling- the conference. The Minister, replying, said he took office at a difficult time. Education had been neglected during the war. and he was not certain that it had not been neglected for some years previously. They must have more and better schools, as Parliament had decided there should be an extension of the school age, and this, with the employment of more teachers, would make it necessary that they should have more accommodation. The conference then went into committee.