THE SCAFFOLDING ACT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 225, 16 June 1908, Page 4

THE SCAFFOLDING ACT.

Sir,—l3y circular to-day I am officially notified of- the Scaffolding Act,, and, as a buildur of fourteen years' activo exporienco, permit me to appeal to the public sense of justice and denounco this foolish measure as a bit of nonsenso unparalleled'in the history of Now Zealand. "I have worked, and am working, as a carpenter among all sorts of timber in dilfercnt parts of Australia and Now Zealand, and 1 say it is stupidity to the last degreo to stipulate that scaffolds shall havo uprights of at loast 4 x 2 un to 20ft. Irish, aud that tho spans arc not to exceed Oft. Why, you may got a crossgrained, shoddy, sappy piece of 4x2 which would bo dangerous to use for a scaffold 6ft. high. Again, I have frequently used a straight-grained picco of 3 s 2 red, pine for Bcaffolas up to 20ft. with perfect safety. With regard to spans, some builders, like myself, carry a few good white pine planks which will spaa considerably more than 9ft. with perfect safety. I havo novor yot had an accident, but tho only way to avert them is to use judgment. No arbitrary rules can be made to apply, as so much depends on tho nature of tho timber to bo used and the purpose for which tho scaffold is to be used. When a deputation from tho Trades and Labour Council .waited on the Minister for Labour to recommend scaffold inspectors, I called public attontion to tho fact that we havo inspectors enough now. It would he quite impossible, and equally unnecessary, for the Government to inspect all scaffolds in outlying districts, but a common-sense inspection, leaving the inspector a frco hand, is at least practicable in the centres. This, however, should be done by the Corporation building'inspector. The'efforts of the Trades Council havo been sadly misdirected in clamouring for -more • in'spccloi';; and more restriction, interference", and tyranny. I am quite satisfied that some oi' tiio demands of the Unions are absolutely opposed to the common good-of tho whole, as we'll as being based on cowardly selfishness. When will tho public sense of justice wake up to this fact? Havo we n Government that caii bo.led by tho nose into*'all serLs of stupid regulations and restrictions by a handful of Labour' loadors who havo not the

slightest iclca of what the common enemy and oppressor of labour really is? A deputation of such men seems to lie of paramount power-in .moulding the numerous laws of this country.—J am, cto., E. STEVENSON. Hastings, Juno 12.