PLUMBERS' REGISTRATION BILL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15604, 6 November 1912, Page 9

PLUMBERS' REGISTRATION BILL.

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE UIUINAUE HOARD.

Tiio Duncdin Uininago Boird held a spceiii meeting yesterday morning to consider liio l'iuniben' Registration Hill. Following on its decision to submit further r-inomimcnU to tho Dill, tho board cominuniouied with ioca] members, wttn tlie result that Mr Bitiey was enabled to pwtpono till ye&terdiiy tlio oommituiiait ol the bill, which would otherwise have bcnn brought down by the iliniatcr iii charge on M" 11 ' day. Mr SU']m')o!l3 (tlio board's solicitor) presented ji number of further amendments, awl it was decided to forward them by wire lo Mr Hidcv ' A.s intiwiioijd to tho House by the Minister of Public Health, tho Hill provided for u board of control in Wellington, with local advisory committees, whose jurisdiction wns practically oonlined to inquiry into misconduct on tho part of registered plumbers, and to submitting their lindings lJioroon to tho liatrd of control. Tho |>ower.i of this ci'iitr.d l<oard were to provide for examination of persons desiring to bo reyistcred m> plumbers, nnd to ditide, with or without further inquiry, whether plumbers guilty of misconduct should or should not 1(0 remove*! frotn tho register. Tho Bill, therefore, provided for two main objects: (1) That thero should bo one examination tor plumbers throughout the ctominion; nnd (2) it vosUid in tho lioard of control juri-sdio-tion over theso plumbers so far as their licoitso to do i»luud)ini; work •wm coi)(*rne<i. Tlie D lined in Hoard approved of the provision for one- examination, but objected to iho oontro! over licenses being reirioiod from tho ioe.-il authority, and tlio Hill a.l amendiyi iuie given elfect to tho board's objections by striking out ill tlio provisions creating locrtl adviwry oommittecs, logetlier with' tho jviwor of the lioarii of control to dftil with lieenscs. Tho main position now is that a plumber who has passed his examination in any part of tiio dominion oan okain a license in any part of tlie dominioi: without furtlior examination. Tho boajd'6 further suggestions' are partly in protection of drainers. Under tlio Bill, a.s now reported; certain work ■which is now dono by drainers cannot bo dono by tliom if or after regulations aro pawed, and tho Wrd w sco King to prooorvo tho ri(, r bt of dniincra to do tbis work, 'l'ho board also wishes to mako it clear and Bocnro that per?oiis who linve received licenees from it by virtue of their living been ejipiged in the trade for five years, or by virtue of their having served as apprentices for ye«rs, and Wing in attenuajieo at the t-eehnioal classes for

tlirco ydirs, pWI Iki ontitlod to rcpislcr

undor this Bill. In order t-o encourage anprontir.es lo attend the Technical School \ tlio board, in iU by-laws, (fives Kpoeial pririleges to thn?o who do so and paw tho examination—such privilege l>oing the. nccojAinc© of scrviee of <U ymrs as apprentices instead of six yottnf. I3nt under the Kill tlm (jOvornor-inCotuioil may pass a regulation that, in a certain doiincd dis-

trict, nil saj-.itP.rv plumbing shall lie done 'bj persons ronist-ortvl uwlor tlio proposed Act, <ind a person cannot lin w roistered unless ho has served at least six years as an apprcntioe, or Wim engaged in tlio plumbing trado for sovo nyears. It Wows that if this requisition were issued provision mado in llio lioard's by-laws for l-lio lionofit of apprentices an<| for the l>cnofit of the Technical School, would bo abrogated- Tim continuance of tlioso benefits is the focond object of the board's latest amendments, which mn forwarded to tl/o lloiuo jcvilcrdny morning.