AUCKLAND COLLEGE

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 124, 29 May 1922, Page 8

AUCKLAND COLLEGE

A BUILDING CONTRACT

—i; BUILDERS REPLY TO ARCHITECTS.

In reference to the dispute' which has arisen between the Auckland University Council and the New Zealand Builders' Federation, the president of the New Zealand Institute of Architects, Mr. C. Reginald Ford, stated last week that the general conditions of contract referred to Gy the Federation were now in process of revision by the Institute of Architects, time having- proved that these conditions ■were defective in some respects, as regards the safeguarding of the interests of building owners. " Mr. Ford alss stated that Government departments and most municipalities already had their own conditions of contract in building! transactions, under which builders freely tendered and worked. The attitude of the Builders' Federation in attempting to boycott the University Council's proposed building work was, in his opinion, incomprehensible ajid altogether unjustifiable.

. Mr. H. Mainland, president, and Mr. W. A. W. Grenfell, secretary, of the New Zealand Builders and Contractors' Association of Employers, in a statement to The Post, say that very great surprise is expressed by the members of tKe'executive of the association at the remarks of and the attitude taken up by Mr. Ford. " The statement that this federation is attempting to boycott the University Council's proposed building work is contrary to fact, and Mr. Ford's publiclyexpressed opinion, that the action of this federation is 'incomprehensible vand. altogether unjustifiable' is strongly resented By master builders," the statement proceeds. ' . " The information made public regarding the action of master builders in this matter is set out in a Press Association message from Auckland dated 22nd instant, in which it is stated that the Builders' Association (meaning the Auckland builders) are advising builders not to tender for the University buildings under the conditions at present attached, but to make their tenders subject to general conditions of contract at present existing between the New Zealand Institute of Architects and the New Zealand Builders' Federation as agreed to at the conference at Wellington in February, 1910.

" The Auckland builders.. wei\e acting in accordance with the advice giiven the master builders of the Dominion' by the executive of this federation. The New Zealand Institute of Architects was informed by letter on the 24th instant that such advice had been given. Now that the subject has been brought under public .notice, it is well the true position of matters should be made quite clear. In 1905 a conference between architects and builders resulted in a set of conditions of contract for use in connection with all contracts to be let in the Dominion being agreed upon. These conditions were in general use until 1910, when a further conference was teld and the conditions amended. These conditions during the last twelve years have been the only conditions used in connection with private building contracts in the Dominion, and have proved in the main to bo fair to- both employer and contractor. Comparatively little, litigation has been/instituted.

i" The firm' of architects calling for tenders are recent arrivals in the Dominion (it is believed the Auckland University is the first job they have had here), and they l^ave attached, to the contract a se;t" of conditions that in many respects differs from the above described general conditions.

" When it is remembered that mast# builders in previous years had to fight hard for the acceptance and recognition by the Dominion architects of a standard set of conditions for all building contracts, is it, reasonable to expect that they will at the behest of new arrivals agree to tho setting aside of the well and long established conditions they have been working under?

"Mr. Ford endeavours to make a point that the present , conditions of contract are not proving satisfactory to Government Departments and local bodies. He say6 they are already adopting their own conditions, under which builders freely tender' and work. He might have'. said they have always attached their own conditions of, contracts. And why? Because the laws of .the country require that certain special conditions and provisions for- sureties v (which -are not provided for in the general conditions of contract) shall be ;set out in any building contracts entered into by Government or by local ; bgdies. -

: "The present position of matters as : between the Institute of Architects and the master builders, is that negotiations and arrangements have been entered into for the holding of a further r.oaference for the purpose'of again revising, the general conditions of contract, and such conference/is now pending.' . "In, view o'fj/ihis fact the public is left to judge as to the wisdom and form shown in the unprovoked and unjustifiable attack upon the Master Builders' Federation." . .