PLUMBERS' REGISTRATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18941, 12 February 1925, Page 10

PLUMBERS' REGISTRATION.

V CRITICISM OF THE ACT. REPEAL NOT SUPPORTED. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] CHRISTCHURCH. Wednesday. A suggestion that all is not well in the working of the Plumbers' Registration Act was spurned, but not unanimously, by the conference of master plumbers to-day. Christchurch put forward a remit suggesting that a conference should be held to discuss the advisability of advocating the repeal of the Act. Mr. T. G. Killick (Christchurch), in moving the remit, stated that some Christchurch members had doubted whether the Act was doing any good. The remit was brought forward merely to test the feeling of the conference. Mr. W. Judd (Wellington) thought some people had "got the wind up" simply because, at the last examination, many men had failed, but in the last six months there had been 46 newly registered plumbers. Ho thought the Act a splendid one, which was being administered very well. Mr, S. G An gel I (Dunedin) concurred with the last speaker, but suggested that the .matter should lie deferred for consideration by the special reports committee.

Mr. G. W. Key (Wellington) thought the conference was simply wasting time by discussing the matter. Mr. C. W Oborn (Christchurch) said he was glad to hear tho Act was working well in Wellington. It was costing the country £2BOO a year to administer. Tho Act had not done so much good as it was thought it would. Mr. F. V. Hoffman (Auckland) stated that Auckland was strongly opposed to repealing the Act. Mr. J. S. Douglas (Dunedin) said that plumbers had fought for years to get the Act. New Zealand was the envy of other places in having the Act. It was useless crying out about the hardness of the examinations. If anything, the exanimations should be made moro difficult. Then the public would know it was getting better work from plumbers. The remit was lost by a good margin.