Plumbers' Association

Progress, Volume X, Issue 8, 1 April 1915, Page 265

Plumbers' Association

The Good Effect of Registration Bill

The Master Plumbers' Association recently held its annual conference in Dunedin, over 60 delegates attending. The President Mr. J. S. Douglas (Dunedin) mentioned at a social gathering that the federation was now such an important institution that they, as plumbers, were practically registered, and could carry out their work under the Plumbers' Registration Act only. They were placed on a very high pedestal indeed. Mr. Douglas went on to refer to their place in the carrying out of reforms in connection with sanitation and sanitary matters. Though everybody could not take a prominent part in carrying out these reforms, there were little tilings they could all do in trying to accomplish the necessary reforms in the interests of their craft. In his dual position as president of the federation and the Dunedin Union, he had received considerable correspondence during the year. One point that struck him very forcibly Avas the rules and bye-laws of local unions. With such a large membership as they had in the various centres it was almost impossible to please the Avhole of them, even though they based those rules and bye-laws on a very broad basis. They should look upon these matters first of all as a federation. They were a registered body licensed by Act of Parliament, and had certain reforms to carry out. They should work to maintain what had been in the air for a considerable number of years, and had only last years been brought to ultimate effect. He was quite certain that if one thing were carried out, the interchange of the minutes and correspondence of the local unions, a lot of misunderstanding would be got rid of that at present existed.

Another speaker, Mr. Burt, said there was not the slightest doubt that the good brought about by the Plumbers' Registration Bill had been a splendid thing to cement the whole of the trade in New Zealand together, and help to foster the good work going on in connection with the federation. Awards

were not nice things to tackle. Now they had a Dominion award, which saved the time of every individual association of master plumbers. He trusted to hear that the present dominion award was working satisfactorily and was the best to be obtained under the circumstances for the trade throughout New Zealand.