THE PAINTING TRADE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 114, 10 November 1910, Page 2

THE PAINTING TRADE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,— lt is a significant sign of the times that apparently the only recommendation that the representatives of the trurls on the painters and decorators' board of control to the Wellington Technical School have to make, in tho direction of v.iising the efficiency of the boys engaged in the painting trade, is to teach tliam graining and marbling. Thai much skill may bo achieved in this branch of the trade there is no doubt. But surely at best it is only a pretence und a sham, and tho least really worthy part of a painter's und decorator's work — covoring up inferior timber with a pretence of being something better than it In. Ualy under exceptional circumstances will an architect or proprietor who really desires good work want work of this class done. It surely would be better to teach the. boys how to use honest paint honestly and thoroughly. The fact 13 that at tho preBeht time theonly teaching a boy is likely to get who is_ employed in the painting trade in Wellington is how to cover the largest possible space in the leaefc time with the minimum of material. It is quite useless to blame either tho mpster tradesman or worker for this state of affairs, which rests entirely with the public, who want cheap work first, last, and all tho time^ If there is a £5 job to be done competitive prices aro obtained, and the cheap man is the best man. It is safe to say that scarcely a now building in Wellington is properly finished as far as tho painter's work is concerned. The painter is _ expected to do his work in a chaos of dirt, plaster, sawdust, and shavings, and k>_ do it quickly. Consequently it is impossible to got men Avho will do decently clean finished work, and boys under these conditions learn not to work well, but to work in a slovenly, slap-dash fashion, with but one end in view — fo get finished as quickly s>s possible. The folk who want educating are not the boys in the Technical School, but the proprietors and architects. — I am, etc., G. aV. DARVALL. Kgaio. 9tn November, 1910.