“ABSENT COMRADES.”

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 182, 2 July 1938, Page 8

“ABSENT COMRADES.”

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Reading over the report >of the conference of the Legion of Frontiersmen, published in connection with the toast of “Absent Comrades,” I notice that your reporter uses these words: “Absent Comrades (those unable to be present).” May I be allowed to suggest that this is rather misleading. The toast is of course chiefly in honour of what are popularly called the dead.—l am, etc., PADRE.

The toast of the Legion in honour of the dead, we are informed by. a Legion officer, is “The Nine Thousand.” The toast “Absent Comrades,” is as contained in the report proposed in honour of those unable to be present at the gathering. SHORTAGE OF CARPENTERS. (To the Editor.) Sir, —lt is with interest that I have noticed in the columns of the Press the statement that Palmerston North is again experiencing; an acute shortage of carpenters and 1 would be much obliged if you would allow me to state my views on the subject. Although I have not, been in close touch with the building trade in the city for the past few months, I found previously that the attitude of the local Builders’ Association has been directly responsible for driving a.way some of the better class of tradesmen available. Perhaps the public will be interested to know that during last spring when outside builders in other centres, and even an outside builder working in Palmerston North, were offering as high as 3s per hour, the Manawatu Builders’ Association would not exceed 2s which was then the award, and it was only the threat of losing their' men in a body that caused them to exceed it eventually. In one case, two first-class tradesmen, the pick of over a dozen on that job, who had been with the firm for a period of years, were- denied any more than the award, weeks after 3s per hour had been paid, .on the grounds that the association was hot in favour of it. But for the ties of home and family the city would have lost their services a.t that time. At the present time we find reliable and trusted “old hands” being paid the bare award, while the labourer turned carpenter collects more outside, even if it is only until he is found out. While still contending that wages on the average are too high, I maintain that the carpenter who is not paid for holidays and is liable to be held, up by weather conditions, and whose employment is intermittent, receives little enough in comparison with other workers, and I would like to point out to the builders concerned that while- quite within their rights in paying the medium class men the bare award, they will find themselves with only the former if they will not pay a premium for the best. However, it is the public who will suffer, if indeed they are not now, in getting poor workmanship in their jobs if the old hand is not kept in the community.—l am, etc., F. R. TTSMAR.Cunninghams, Feilding, 30/6/38.

When the above letter was referred to a prominent. builder in Palmerston North lie commented that the matter of differentiation of wages was closely connected with human nature. . The builder, employing ’a-, number of carpenters, could not draw the line between the ability of one mail and another in regard to wages. If the good man were paid more than the others then there was trouble immediately with the .rest of the staff. Every man thought he was as good as the next and that he did as much work. “You will find that immediately you start paving this man less, or this man more, you will have trouble . among your men,” lie said. “The differentiation between wages has been tried out and has been found wanting. It is a peculiar thing that where a lot of men are employed you cannot make ■ variations in prices for the service they give you. In my opinion the scarcity of carpenters will soon.be. overcome, the reason for that being that there are a large number of trainees being taken on," and a large number of men' who left the trade have been coming back. These men are gradually becoming more efficient. You can have a scarcity of carpenters one day and too many the next, just according to the amount of building that is going on, and when the jobs are finishing. Even if you increase the ratio of caipenteis by importing men you are still not going to have the buildings speeded upvery much unless you increase the membership in the other trades as well the plumbers, electricians, etc. Also’, on a lot of jobs such as the building of ramps and bridges, there are men employed who are dealing with boxing and such types of work. They will not put their tools down when these works are finished but will become carpenters in the future. There is a good deal of this type of work going on. There would be quite a llood of carpenters to Palmerston North if the housing position were not quite so acute. The lnen would come to Palmerston North from the smaller centres, because the living conditions are more congenial here than in those smaller centres. “The man who leaves one employe! and goes to another is not lost to the trade. In all probability the workman was paid the higher wages just to allow him to finish the job. Then the workman is on the market again. Builders, as a body, are not concerned so much with the wages as they are with the cost of building when it rises out of proportion to the earning capacity of the lower paid wage; earner, who is actually the client of the builder. It does not seem fair that, owing to a temporary shortage, advantage should he taken by any particular branch of tradesmen to unduly increase the cost of their work, as it Will ultimately reflect back on them. Though tli,ere is undoubted! ya scarcity of skilled men, if wages are increased that must only brihg the cost back to the building. Higher wages mean higher costs, higher .costs higher rents, and that you will probably find will hold back building activities,”