Painters’ Assn moves with the times

Press, 22 May 1986, Page 18

Painters’ Assn moves with the times

Stories have cropped up with disturbing frequency in the last few years of fly-by-night painters and con men who have fleeced house owners, either by doing shoddy paint jobs or sometimes by disappearing with deposits for painting that was never done. Sadly, the victims of this knavery, often the aged on small fixed incomes, have neglected to avail themselves of protection which is readily available through the painting trade’s organisation, the Canterbury Painting Contractors Association (Inc.). All of the Association’s members are qualified tradesmen and are required to produce work of a suitably high standard. Fair prices are assured by the association’s tender scheme. As shysters have threatened to bring the trade into disrepute, the association (formerly the Canterbury Guild of Master Painters) has responded and grown stronger, and there can be

little excuse today for consumers falling prey to con men. The change to the name, dropping the antiquated word “guild", in favour of Painting Contractors Association, is one of the many made recently, updating the body’s public image as well as its service. In the last two years,

under the presidency or Mr Joseph Butler, the association has grown in strength, increasing its membership from 64 to 137. Its rate of service to the public has grown apace. A year ago it was found that to meet the growing number of inquiries from the public it was necessary to employ a parttime secretary, and Mrs Sue Whyte was engaged to fill that position. Her services have been of such value — to the association’s members and to the consumer — that she will fill the post, full-time when the association moves to its new premises at 26 Stewart Street on June 1. Mrs Whyte is well-quali-fied for her position; she has completed the training courses of all the major paint makers and is conversant with all aspects of painting.