BUILDING TRADE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 245, 14 September 1936, Page 7

BUILDING TRADE

COMPETENT MEN SCARCE. CONDITIONS IN THE CITY. The scarcity in the building trade ol ■killed men, and proposals for overcoming the difficulty, were referred to by Mr H. E. Townshend, builder, in conversation with a “Standard” reporter to-day. Mr Townshend referred to the message from the “Standard’s” Wellington correspondent, published on Saturday, regarding the possible reintroduction of immigration to meet the need, and he counselled caution, with a quiet advance, devoid of any speedy action which would bring suflering to the trade later. Mr Townshend also commented on the apprenticeship position, and had some constructive views to advance, “There is a definite scarcity of ■killed tradesmen and, of course, work is held up because ot that,” he said. “You cannot bring more than a certain percentage of unskilled men on, because there must be a skilled man to so many unskilled and the competent and trained men are very scarce to-day. In recent times quite a number of men who have had a few years’ experience have had to seek other avenues of employment and those men are now slowly drifting back to the trade. On account of the length of time they have been out of the building trade, however, they want a little ‘nursing’ for ji short time, and 1 would suggest that, if arrangements could be made with the unions, these men be allowed to work at reduced wages until they are rehabilitated in the trade. In that way quite a large amount of labour could be absorbed. At the present time men are being engaged from the relief workers’ ranks and are coming from farming, timber stacking and other employment back into their old trade. It is only fair that those men who have spent some years nt the trade should be given the opportunity of getting back into it before there is any suggestion of immigration to fill the gaps.” Discussing the point that there were few apprentices to provide the journeymen ot later years, Air Townshend remarked that for several years employers had been very shy about signing up an apprentice for live years. His suggestion was that, to overcome tflat diffidence, employers be allowed to take on an apprentice for a guaranteed term of 12 months or two years. A builder could see that far ahead and would bo willing to engage apprentices for that term. There would be a clear understanding that, at the end of the term, if there was sufficient work offering the indentures would be signed ana tho guaranteed period taken into account, so that a youth who had ha l d two years’ service would finish his apprenticeship iu three years. A certain number of boys should be taken into the trade all the timo they could be very usefully employed on a large number of jobs. Tnc apprenticeship conditions, regarding wages and other matters, would naturally apply during tho guaranteed period. By employing boys, even for periods shorter than the lull apprenticeship, employers would be keeping them off the street and keeping them from entering “blind alley” jobs. Too many labourers had been produced and something had to be done to guide the requisite percentage into the skilled trades.

Just now there were so many alterations in the building trade, and so many changes in tho laws, with the Government's intentions as to a housebuilding scheme as yet not fully defined, that builders did nob feel that they were in a position to enter into apprenticeship contracts. They could, however, see ahead as far as ttvo years or so. Not only a shortage of skilled men, but also a shortage of material was holding back building activity, said Mr Townshend. The other industries supplying the material had been suffering from the same thing as the building trade, and one had to remember that factories had been working with a very greatly reduced production lor years and it would take time for them to work up to their full capacity again.

CAUTION URGED. “The Government’s building scheme should proceed slowly,” said Mr Townshend. “If there is a boom in building there will certainly Be a depression in the trade to lollow. I would say that the first thing to do would be to absorb all the existing local labour and let that govern the pace of the scheme. The building trade is the indicator of prosperity. As soon as prosperity advances alter hard times it will be shown in building activity in one way or another. Other resources of the community must be developed hand in hand with the building trade’.*, advancement if it is to continue. There must be something behind the building trade because it is not an industry to support itself. It is no use building houses if those who are to buy them have not the money to pay for them. Permanent employment for those in the building trade is the result of other factors and if the building trade is concentrated upon too much it will run nway with itself and suffer later.”