BUILDERS RESENT COMMENT

Taranaki Daily News, 27 February 1931, Page 7

BUILDERS RESENT COMMENT

OF EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE.

FAULTY WORKMANSHIP DENIED.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.

Invercargill, Last Night. At the annual conference of the New Zealand Builders and Contractors’ Federated Union of Employers to-day some comment was made on a suggestion broadcast in connection with the recent earthquake disaster in Hawke’s Bay that extent both of ruined buildings and of loss of life was attributable in a measure to faulty work by builders and tradesmen. The view was expressed by several delegates, who ’had visited the stricken area, that such a suggestion was quite unwarranted and without any foundation of fact. A motion was carried unanimously, after ' some discussion, deprecating the action of individual architects in making public statements concerning the workmanship of certain of the buildings destroyed in the recent disaster before thorough investigation of all the circumstances surrounding the erection of such buildings. / The president (Air. N. Cole) stated that both architects and builders had learnt a great deal from this catastrophe, which had made very apparent the inadequacy’of the existing by-laws to counteract the effect of forces not hitherto considered in construction work. “At the same time,” he said, “we resent strongly the implication made in some quarters that the tremendous extent of ruin was due, even in a measure, to faulty work by builders and tradesmen. This implication has. been made purely by individuals and without any due investigations, and I am certain that it can be directly refuted. Such a terrific upheaval was never contemplated by builders or architects, and there was never any suspicion that it might occur. Buildings erected under architects’ supervision and work done purely by builders, have suffered the same fate, and there is no shadow of reflection on builders or workmen.” Air. Cole added that the Government had undoubtedly adopted a wise course in deciding to frame Dominion building by-laws having due regard to earthquake resistance, thereby ensuring the ■best possible protection to life and property.