Here and There.

Progress, Volume XIV, Issue 12, 1 August 1919, Page 573

Here and There.

Raetihi must be a prosperous place at the present time. It is stated that the building trade N in that township is booming, and that.there are double the amount of buildings under erection or in contemplation than in any other township of its size in the Dominion. There is also a proposal to form a racing club in the district. # * * * At a recent meeting of the Christchiirch City Council, a plan prepared by Mr. S. Hurst Seager in connection with the Council's proposals for town planning was submitted. The plans dealt with an area on Buckley's road, where 28 houses could be erected. •## # * A Christchurch man, Mr. A. D. Ford, has put forward a housing scheme to be worked by municipalities based on loans from the Government free of interest totalling two million pounds. To meet the loss of letting the houses at 15s per week and provide necessary interest and sinking fund he proposes that Parliament should put an extra duty of 20 per cent, on tobacco and cigarettes. It would mean an incresed price of three-fifths of a penny (per plug.of tobacco, but he thinks that consumers would pay it willingly in the knowledge that the payment would make it possible to erect 3000 sanitary homes. i * # . • * | A Woolston (Christchurch), borough councillor recently moved that immediate application be made to the Government for the expenditure of £IO,OOO for house-building in the borough, and said: "The Government is going to have an election soon, and jwe may be able to get this done if we ask now, but Ave won't have much chance later on." "We would get the promise, anyway," supplemented the Mayor. The motion was carried.

Excellent progress is being made Avith the formation of the Wellington Building Trades Federation, which the organisers hope will eventually embrace carpenters, plumbers, painters, electricians, timber workers, builders, labourers—-in fact, all Avorkers connected Avith the building industry., ; All the unions to Avhich the idea has been submitted have approved of it (says the “Post”), and the other organisations have arranged meetings- to consider the matter. So far the constitution, as (Originally drawn up, has also met Avith approval. The objects of the Federation, as set out’ in the constitution, are: (1) Uniformity of hours; (2) uniformity of working conditions; (3) council of administration re disputes; (4) board of appeal of disputes between unions; (5) common action in consideration of labour laAvs and their amendments. The Federation shall consist of all unions connected Avith the building industry in the Wellington industrial district. The government of the Federation is to be vested in a council composed of delegates elected annually from each affiliated union, and the principle of “one union, one vote ’ is laid down.