MASTER BUILDERS

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19462, 8 November 1928, Page 4

MASTER BUILDERS

COMMONWEALTH CONVENTION.

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY.

Delegates to the 22nd annual convention of the Federated Master Builders' Association of Australia assembled in conference in Melbourne on October 29th, under the chairmanship of the Federal president (Mr L. Thompson). Regret, was expressed by Mr Thompson in his presidential address at the fact that certain interested individuals had, in criticising the Builders' Registration Bill, sought to defame the profession. Mr Thompson referred to the "futility" of the Federal Arbitration Court, and welcomed the proposal of the Federal Ministry to introduce a peaos-in-m----dustry Bill to substitute round-table conferences. ' . , „ ... An application was received from the Victorian Master Builders' Association for membership with the Federal organisation. There are five master builders' associations is Victoria, of which the Melbourne, Geelong, Bendigo, and Ballarat Associations have joined the federation, while the Victorian Association (formerly the Suburban Master Builders' Association ot Melbourne), with a present membership of 420, has not yet affiliated. On the motion ot Mi J. M. Pringle (N.S W.), seconded by Mr A. Douglas (Melb.), a committee was formed to consider the application and to report to the conference. Mr L. Thompson referred to the loss sustained by the deaths of Messrs T. Loveridge (former Federal president), H. Hudson (representative of >he New South Wales Association at the first conference), J. A. Taylor (editor and proprietor of the "Building Magazine"), and N. Philps Richards (secretary of the New South Wales Association. For 38 vears the Federal Association had been in existence, continued Mr Thompson, and it was with peculiar pleasure that he noted the attendance of Mr A. Midson (Q.) (j one of the founders of the Association, who had been present at the first convention, held in Sydney in 1890. Referring to the proposed legislation for the registration of builders. Mr Thompson said that this important matter had been considered by every brapch, but, with the exception of Victoria, no great propress seemed to have' been made. A Bill had been introduced in the Legislative Assembly, and was now the subiect of investigation by the select Parliamentary committee. The Bill, which was practically identical with the measure introduced in New Sorth Wales in 1926. had unfortunately been Used by some interested individuals to defame the building profession, Referrincr to the Apprenticeship Act, Mr Thompson said that employers generally were favourable to this meajtmre In regard to industrial legislation the futility of the Arbitration Court had been abundantly proved, and it was ,of interest to note that the Federal Ministry proposed to substitute a peace-in-industry Bill. Builders would appreciate their responsibility in providing adequate housing accommodation for the peoole; so far as Victoria was concerned the State Sav-i ings Bank commissioners were giving continuous and efficient service to the community in the direction of providing homes. Period of Depression. Reports from most of the States submitted to the convention indicate a period of depression in the building trade. The reports, while describing conditions in Melbourne as being dull, showed that trade had been very brisk in Perth.

The president of the Victorian Association (Mr A. Douglas) said that in this State there had not during the last year been the slightest friction between employers and employees. A contentious issue between the Association and the Institute of Architects had been the subject of quantities. This had resulted in the ending of an agreement which had existed for many years between the two bodies. The total number of buildings constructed in Melbourne and within a radius of 20 miles of the city was 12,422, of a value of £7,631.469. The vice-preßideht of the Queensland Association (Mr J. W. Greene) reported that there had been a decrease in building, especially in smaller residential houses.

A considerable inorease in buildings constructed in New South Wales was referred to by. the president of the New South Wales Association (Mr Lemcke). The year under review had been entirely free of industrial disputes. Little progress had been made with builders' registration, but endeavours were being made to have it introduced as a party measure as the only means of success. Referring to conditions ' in South Australia, Mr W. H. White (president of_ the South Australian Association) said ir~ "We are passing through the most serious depression in the nistory of the Association." The value of buildings constructed was £500,000 less than for the preceding'year. Advocating the necessity for builders' registration, Mr . A. H. Moverley (N.SiW.) said that some check was necessary on bad builders. No amount of supervision by building inspectors arid surveyors could entirely stop a bad builder from doing bad work, but registration would, no considered, achieve this .object. Referring to suggestions that Saturday morning work was unsatisfactory, Mr J. W. Chalmers (Melb.) said that Saturday morninpr work should not be abandoned. Any move in this direction would give unions room to insert the "thin edge of the Wedge." Mr Clements Langford (Melb.) said that if employees agreed to a five-day week unionists would then want a half-day on Friday. Mr J. Hodd (W.A.) stated that Australia was endeavouring with, dying industries to compete with overseas prices.' They could not expect to continue further with shorter hours. In a paper on "Empire. Trade" prepared for the conference,'- Mr G. D. Wright (S.A.) said that it was coming to be realised that the days of conservatism in trade were past. The folly of. restriction of output as a source of benefit to any member or section of the community must be more fully realised. After referring to the preat growth in trade by the United States While the war was in progress,Mr Wright expressed the view that' if there was one nation more than another whose "coffers" they should avoid filling it was America. Objection to the extension of the powers of the Commonwealth Arbitration Court is expressed in a paper prepared by Mr J. G.Emmett (S.A.). He said that the powers of this Court had been gradually extended until in practice it had become almost the wage tribunal for the whole of the Commonwealth. It was highly probable that had there been no Commonwealth Arbitration Court, or its jurisdiction limited, as was intended by the framers of the Constitution., there would have been fewer industrial disputes. Under South Australian legislation the number of disputes had been relatively few, and the.majority'which had occurred had been in instances coming within the purview of the Commonwealth

Court. The employer was no longer able to carry additional burdens or pass them on to the consumer. The offensive must be taken up to lower the costs of production. In his opinion the remedy for existing conditions waß to allow wages boards to fix the wages and deal with employers direct. Piecework should be encouraged to allow employees to get the full benefit of what they earned.