IDLENESS DUE TO RAIN

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 76, 26 September 1942, Page 8

IDLENESS DUE TO RAIN

ALLEGATIONS REBUTTED

Allegations of economic waste on defence works due to inability/to use labour in wet weather, made recently by Mr. W. McAra, secretary of the New Zealand Building Trades- Federation, were rebutted by the Commissioner of Defence Construction, Mr. James Fletcher, in a statement to "The Post." Mr. McAra had stated that nearly 1000 hours were lost on one urgent building job due to wet ■ weather, while within a mile of this same job other urgent works could not proceed for lack of tradesmen, said Mr. Fletcher. Mr. McAra also stated: "Figures submitted to the building trades representatives indicated that the economic wastage over a three months' period amounted to the staggering total of 1.080.000 man-hours on defence works alone, because of inability to use labour in wet weather."

Mr Fletcher said he'was surprised to see such a remarkable statement made. "I recognise that the past three months were the wettest for a considerable period, but I challenge Mr. McAra to produce evidence in support of his statement," said Mr. Fletcher. The Commissioner admitted that there had been lost time. That was. he said, inevitable under the circumstances. The types of structure used for defence purposes called for practically no inside finishing, resulting in a considerable increase in the proportion of work that had to be carried out in all weathers. The deputation had also been informed that many materials were today in short supply, and to provide, material, for all work to be carried out under cover would make necessary the establishing of heavy stocks against wet weather.

"The principal reason for the impracticability of providing inside work to obviate any lost time is that even if all the material could have been made available it would have provided for less than 25 per cent, of the effective labour in Wellington city," said Mr Fletcher.