THE NEW POST OFFICE BUILDING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20450, 3 July 1928, Page 10

THE NEW POST OFFICE BUILDING.

BUILDERS PROTEST TO THE GOVERNMENT. The secretary of the Dunedin Builders and Carpenters’ Industrial Union of Employers has written to the Minister of Public Works protesting strongly against the apparent decision of the Department to undertake the laying of the foundations for the new Post Office building by means of day labour. The letter says: On the natural assumption that tenders will be invited in due course for the erection of the building proper, my executive is unanimously of opinion that logically speaking, the same course should have been adopted for the toxindations. It is thought that your department s contemplated action may be prompted partly by a desire to relieve local unemployment at first band; but, as was pointed out at a recent meeting, if the work is handed to a contractor, the relief will be given just the same, since the necessary labour will, of course, b e engaged on the spot. , In support of my association’s point of view it is desired respectfully to draw your attention to the many fine buildings completed from bed-rock by local contractors in this city, and to ask whether you will not admit that these furnish adequate proof of our craftsmen’s ability to undertake anything in their own line from start to finish. _ ;; I am further to say that the growing practice of your department to undertake work which could be equally well done by private firms is —in the estimation of'master builders generally—wrong in principle, seeing that any economy which may be effected, let us say, by reason of the department’s freedom from the provisions of awards governing the industry, can only be secured at the expense of the lower grade workers, whose reasonable welfare should be the first care of the State. Even supposing that in the particular instance unde# mention this_ argument does not hold good; my association feels very strongly that its members, and those of kindred organisations, are entitled to a share of any legitimate profit which mav accrue from the expenditure of public funds, if only for the reason that the amount of djrect and indirect taxation collected annually from the trade represents a formidable figure. The plea of the builders for reciprocal treatment at the hands of the Government is further strengthened by the fact that their enterprise provides constant employment to thousands of workers, while their activities hav e added in no small measure to the solid wealth of the country. On all these counts, therefore, the hope is expressed that you will see your way to reverse the decision presumably arrived at bv your department in the particular instance quoted, and by so doing establish a precedent for the future guidance of your officials.