Bricklayers’ Protest.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 145, 20 June 1931, Page 9

Bricklayers’ Protest.

LATE CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor. Dear Sir, —In your issue of last Saturday there is another outburst by the Hon. H. Atmore, Minister of Education, regarding brick buildings. Because a chairman of a school committee chooses to differ from his decision, he has gone to considerable trouble to make public his opinions, and endeavoured to stampede the various school committees to his own line of thought. Now, sir, he takes umbrage at the representatives of brickmakers going to the Prime Minister, asking him to stay the Minister of Education’s hand in the decisions he had come to. The Minister did not state the real reason of the deputation’s business to the Prime Minister. All they wanted was to stay the Minister’s hand till the commission, which was sitting, had presented its report, which was a reasonable request. The Minister has shown in his attitude and statements considerable bias towards industry and trade generally, and he has taken up a complete dictatorship in this direction. In recent years even the various school committees had some say in the nature of the buildings and their design, but now it is to be a wooden shack, take it or leave it.

It would be of greater benefit to the public if the Minister would devote his time to the interests of education rather than to fostering anxiety and fear in the hearts of parents and children. Take Richmond and Spreydon for example. As a practical bricklayer for nearly thirty-six years. I say the Minister does not know what he is talking about when he gives a complete condemnation of all brickwork. I should like to point out the recent report of the commission does not condemn brickwork, but tightens up the specifications of a more rigid nature. There have been many weaknesses in brickwork in the past, because the main object has not been strength, but cheapness. But no one should blame the bricks or bricklayers for that. The people responsible for the shoddy buildings are the contractors and architects, but the manufacturer and tradesman have to suffer.

Brickwork can be constructed to-day into as rigid formation 3s any other material, and lends itself to reinforcing to any extent if necessary, and to a finish more pleasing than the dull grey ineffective appearance of concrete buildings.

A lot has been said to encourage local industries, and the brick manufacturer is one of the oldest in the world. There are in the local brick yards at the present time upwards of 3,000,000 bricks in stock waiting to be used, and the whole of the brickmaking staff is at present There is nearly a million and a-half of capital invested in the industry, and in addition there are upwards of a hundred bricklayers unemployed in the city. The material required for brickwork is entirely of New Zealand manufacture, which will show support is only needed to help to solve some of the unemployment which is at present rampant.—l am, etc.,

J. E. JONES, Secretary Canterbury Bricklayers’ Union.