FEDERATED BUILDERS.

Evening Star, Issue 12101, 6 November 1908, Page 3

FEDERATED BUILDERS.

The Builders’ Conference was continued at Invercargill yesterday. The following officers were elected: President, 3lr A. Bain; vice-president, Mr S. J. Clarke; Executive Committee—--3lessrs W. L. Thompson, D. M’Lean, J. Bussell, and33U H. Bennett (all re-elected); representatives on the Advisory Board of the Parliamentary Committee of the New Zealand Employers’ Federation, Messrs Bennett and Thompson. The annual levy was fixed at 3s 6d per member. It was decided to accept the invitation of the Christchurch Association to hold the next annual meeting there. A draft form of agreement as between contractor and sub-contractor was submitted by a sub-committee, and referred to the solicitor for approval, after which it will be forwarded to the various associations. Under the proposed agreement a sub-contractor must covenant to take out a policy to cover himself and his employees, and to lodge this policy with the contractor. This will make it possible for a contractor, by the exercise of reasonable vigilance, to see that he is indemnified against loss through accidents. It was decided to urge the Government to take more active steps to conserve the timber supplies. It was ■ resolved, also, that in all cases before the Arbitration Court or the Industrial Councils- strong efforts should be made to have the minimum wage computed at, say, 20 per cent, below the standard wage.