BUILDING LULL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23221, 15 December 1938, Page 18

BUILDING LULL

TEMPORARY PHASE CARPENTERS SEEK WORK MUCH CONSTRUCTION PENDING STATE AND PRIVATE PLANS For 'the first time for over two years a fair number of unemployed carpenters have appeared on the labour market, a condition attributed to some slackening in State housing operations and a slight lull in private building chiefly owing to the Christmas holidays. However, it is expected that as a large amount of both State and private building in Auckland is pending, a scarcity of carpenters will soon arise again. There is still a scarcity of skilled tradesmen in the allied building trades. Not only have a fair number of applications been received by builders in the city from carpenters available for engagement, but the same state of affairs is reported in some country districts. Increase in Workers It is pointed out that the number of carpenters has been greatly increased in the past year or two by the addition of men who have served no apprenticeship, and with a little preliminary knowledge have managed to acquire sufficient skill to fulfil the ordinary requirements in'the trade. The number of such men is estimated by some builders as being not less than 25 per cent of the total. There has also been a fair addition of apprentices, so that busy conditions are now necessary to keep all carpenters employed While the rate of State housing construction appears to have eased, tenders will close for about 28 houses in Mount Albert next week. Tenders will close for another batch on January 10 and further substantial additions to tho programme are expected soon. Proposed Private Building A pending programme of ' private building is fairly heavy. It.includes a Franciscan monastery at Hillsborough, and a building to be occupied by Charles Begg and Company, Limited, in Queen Street. /At the Hobsonvillo Air Base tenders have been called for a temporary hangar, a new repair shop and an addition to staff quarters. Tenders will close in January for one of two hangars at tho new aerodrome at Huapai. New office accommodation is to be erected at Kempthorne Prosser's works at Penrose, where a large store is now in the early stages of erection, and a good deal of minor work, apart from houses, is expected to be launched early in tho new year.