MASTER PAINTERS’ FEDERATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21579, 26 February 1932, Page 2

MASTER PAINTERS’ FEDERATION

CONFERENCE CONCLUDED IMPORTANT MATTERS DISCUSSED. The annual conference of the New Zealand Federation of Master Painters was concluded yesterday. The president (Mr A. H. Penny, of Auckland) was in the chair. A good deal of time was devoted again to the Liens Act, and several proposals were put forward which would give subcontractors greater protection than they received at present. A sub-committee Tiad been previously set up at the conference to go into the matter, and its report stated that consideration had been given to several proposals such as compulsory attachment to liens and automatic attachment prior to the commencement of work as was practised in America. However, the sub-committee recommended a scheme by which the principle of trusteeship embodied in the Law Practitioners Act should be included in the Liens Act to apply to the relationship between the principal contractor and the various subcontractors. The proposals were referred to the executive to co-operate with the Master Plumbers’ Federation, the electrical contractors’, ironmasters’, and other sub-cbn-tracting organisations, with a view to seeking an amendment to the Act. i Messrs J. S. Douglas and T. W. Knos, representing the New Zealand Plumbers’ Federation, were present at the discussion, and it was generally agreed that some amendment of the Act was essential, as it had been practically unaltered for the past 30 years* and the present conditions (demanded a change. The remainder of the morning was devoted to the presentation of a paper by Mr J. D. Turner (Dunedin) on problems which the federation 'would have to consider in the near future, and a lengthy and interesting discussion .ensued on technical matters relating to the composition and manufacture of paints. The conference * was resumed in, the afternoon, and it. was decided to suggest to the Unemployment Board that it should investigate the possibility of planting suitable pine trees on coastal sand dune country in New Zealand with a view to supplying the Dominion’s needs ‘in the way of resin and turpentine so that paint could be manufactured here. , It was decided to hold the next conference at Wanganui. v ... The delegates from the north will leave on their return this morning. ELECTION 'OF OFFICERS.

The following officers were elected for the ensuing year:-—President, Mr O. Allomes ( Wanganur); immediate past-pre-sident, Mr A. H. Penny ( Auckland); vicepresidents—Messrs R. V, Taylor (Wellington) and P. Findlay (Dunedin); executive —Messrs E. J. Bell (chairman), C. Lilleyman, F. J. Foate, P.’ Tonkin, T. Collins, J. W. Bowden, E. Lockwood, and F. Mazey, of Christchurch; Parliamentary Committee —Messrs R. V. Taylor, A. L. Dixon, and T. A. Wells (Wellington); representative on the New Zealand Employers’ Federation, Mr T. A. Wells (Wellington); auditor, Mr D. Lee (Christchurch) ; secretary. Mr D. I. Macdonald (Christchurch). The conference was closed with votes of thanks to the retiring president (Mr A. ,H. Penny), the outgoing executive, and the’ members of the Otago Association who had acted as hosts. 1 A visit was later paid to Messrs Smith and Smith’s paint factory, where the delegates spent ah interesting hour under the guidance of Mr J... D. Turner. APPRENTICES’ EXHIBITION. In connection with the annual conference an exhibition of apprentices’ work is held, and the delegates paid a visit to the Technical School, where the work was displayed. The judges were Messrs G. Sey (Christchurch), O. Allomes (Wanganui), M. Hanley (Oamaru), and P. Findlay (Dunedin), who commented very favourably on the standard of the work, and it was evident, they stated, that an increasing interest was being taken by. the boys in this exhibition. Certain proposals regarding the alteration of the classes iij the competition were adopted at the conference. The following were the prize winners:— Painting section —R. J. Hill (Wellington) 1, C. Russell ‘(Christchurch) 2, W. F. Kidd (Wellington) and J. Watt (Auckland) h.c.; signwriting section (first year iclass) —J. Lawton (Wellington) 1, L. Mitchell (Wellington) 2. L. Taylor (Auckland) and R. Southey (Wellington) h.c.; open class—J. Sharp (Wellington) 1, C. Vidulieh (Wellington) 2. R. Page (Auckland) h.c.; poster work —J. Beetson (Auckland) 1, hf Taylor (Auckland) 2, R. Davies (Auckland) h.c.; novelty decoration —E. Tyrer (Wellington) 1, R. Taylor (Wellington) 2, J. Castell (Auckland) h.c.