STATE HOUSING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22584, 24 November 1936, Page 12

STATE HOUSING

UNIONISTS PROTEST PRIVATE CONTROL QUESTION CRITICISM OF SCHEME The Government's housing scheme was discussed at a recent conference of building trades secretaries in Auckland, when Air. H. Campbell, secretary to the Auckland Trades and Labour Couneil, opposed a resolution asking the Government to allow the scheme to be undertaken directly by members of the building trade unions. " In opposing the resolution I pointed out the urgency of the demand for housing," ho said yesterday, " and that the Government was alive to the need for building houses quickly. As an organisation would have to be built up, I said the building trade unions were not in a position at present to run a scheme of this dimension, as the Government wanted houses this year, or early next, and it could not wait until we set up an elaborate organisation." "Service ol Best Brains" Mr. Campbell's comments arose from an article published in the first issue of The Borer, official organ of the Auckland Carpenters and Joiners' Union, which criticised the failure of Mr. J. A. Lee, Parliamentary Under-Secretary in Charge of Housing, to provide trade unions with particulars of the State housing plan. This article was in the nature of a report of a meeting attended by representatives of building trade unions, and of a deputation which waited upon Mr. in Wellington. Mr. J. G. Kennerley, secretary to the Auckland Carpenters and Joiners' Union, said Mr. Lee informed the deputation that he had the service of the best brains in the Dominion. Several delegates to the building trades conference in Auckland declared that the unions concerned should not allow a State scheme to get into the hands of private companies, and it was suggested that a motion of protest should be forwarded to tho Government. Aim of Unions Eventually the following seven clauses were passed, Messrs. Campbell and Williams, representing the Painters' Union, and Messrs. Main and Rabbetts, the Plasterers' Union, voting against them: — 1. All materials should be supplied directly by the Government for the whole scheme. 2. All work should be done by day labour, and all men supplied from the respective unions concerned. 3. A joint supervisory committee should be set up consisting of Government and union representatives, the latter to be selected by tho unions themselves. 4. The various clauses of the present Apprenticeship Act should be applied and enforced so as to meet the needs of the building industry. 5. In the supplying of the required labour* by the unions, no adverse discriminaiion on account of age to be permitted. G. The foremen to be elected democratically by the men on individual jobs. 7. Workshops to be run under exactly the same conditions as are applied to the actual buildings. This' resolution has been forwarded to the Government, but no reply has been received.