The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1866-12-01 00:00:00

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 18G6.

BUILDERS, CONTRACTORS, AND
CLERKS.

The unsatisfactory state of the present system
of Building Contracts has, for some time past,
engaged the attention of builders and architects
with a view to ameliorating it ; and meetings
have been held at different times for that pur-
pose, and the following suggestions were the
result : —That the contract agreement should re-
cite the specifications, plans, elevations, sec-
tions, detail drawings, and bills of quantities, as
the basis of the contract on the one side ; and
the accepted tender as the basis on the other,
and thus make the contract as specific as pos-
sible. Another object was that security should
be offered to the contractor for the action of all
combinations of the workmen, or from stress of
weather; the time lost by such interruption
shall be allowed to the contractor beyond the
time specified for the completion of the work,
and in case of any interruption the architect
shall not have power to take the work out of
the louder's or contractor's hands.
The above, no doubt, was wisely framed, but
although the architect shall not have power to
take the work out of the contractor's hands, yet
still the architect has the power of appointing a
Clerk of the Works where he is engaged upon,
and the ordinary duty of the clerk frequently
brings him in contact with the builder. It is
therefore important that where clerks are ap-
pointed at Works, they should be men well
qualified for the position they occupy, and above
suspicion in what they do. Strikes will, and do
often occur between the employer and the em-
ployed, but it is somewhat novel for workmen to
strike against clerks. Yet, such is the case at
Yoxall, a small town near Burton-on-Trent, a
strike has taken place between the workmen and
the Clerk of the Works, Some time ago, Mr.
W. He, builder, our respected and energetic
townsman, took a contract to rebuild the Yoxall
Church. This living is worth £7llO a year, and
is in the gift of the Crown, and at the present
time is held by the Rev. 11. Sullivan, nephew of
the late Lord Palmerston. About two years
ago, the rector headed a subscription with t 1,000
towards the restoration of the church, and the
amount subscribed reached the goodly sum of
£4,000. The church which is not roofed, but
only partly lathed, and totally uncovered, is thus
abandoned owing to a dispute between the Clerk
of the Works, and the stonemasons and builders
in the employ of Mr. Ife. Mr. Beckensall. the
aforesaid clerk, is in the employ of Mr. Woodyer,
of London, the eminent church architect. On
the part of the contractor it is alleged that the
Clerk of the Works has rendered himself ob-
noxious, he having on many occasions allowed
work to be done, and as soon as done to con-
demn it; thereby causing great and vexatious
expenses to the contractor, and considerable an-
noyance to the workmen, who state that he who
should be on the spot and observe the works
going on, ought to have made any really good
objection before the cause of complaint was pro.
ceeded with. Angry and ill-feelings are the
consequence, and on the sth of November the
workmen took occasion to raise a bonfire and
burn the effigy of the Clerk of the Works in
front of his own house.
Ott the part of the Clerk of the Works it is
urged that he has not exceeded the duty imposed
upon him, contained in the builders' specifica-
tions, and that on the occasions complained of
either the work was objectionable, or the mate-
rial inferior.
The result was, that a meeting was hold on
the 14th nit, of the Trustees and Committee of
the Building Fund, (with Mr. H. F. Meynell In-
gram at their heath, and the architect, contrac-
tor, clerk of the works, and the heads of the
masons and carpenters. The architect con-
sidered that the point of difference lay between
himself and the contractcr, and therefore the
masons and carpenters had no voice in in it.
Consequently they were ordered to withdraw.
On the other hand Mr. Ife, the contractor, con-
sidered that he had nothing to do with the dis-
pute, which rested between the clerk of the
works and the masons and builders. The argu-
ment appears to have ended in the approval of
the conduct of the clerk of the works.
Meetings were afterwards held among the
masons and builders, and the result was that the
following- resolutions were transmitted to the
Building Committee
"Gentlemen,—We deem it our duty to lay
before you the grievances we are labouring under
in writing.
Ist. Since the commencement of the works,
in our opinion, it has been nothing but delays
and ((Iterations, without Mr. Ife or his agents
being in any way responsible for such alters-
tions. At the commencement, the details of
drawings were shamefully behind, an I the con-
tractor was unable to get them to keep tha job
in action for his men.
2nd. The pulling down of work by your ser-
vant, Clerk of the Works, having been erected
under his superintendanca.
3rd. The burying of some hundred feet of
good Bath stone under the walls, costsn,g the
contractor Is 6d per foot, when common bricks
would have answered the purpose. We call the
attention of the Building Committee to the cast
nave gable end, built of Bath stone. The whole
of the gables might have been built of the same
material.
4th. The church having been erected under
the snperintendance of your servant, the clean-
ing down is extremely expensive. Witness the
rubbing down the outside with sand and water,
while the work is specified axed work. We refer
you to the specification. Likewise the cutting
the tiles winecessarily cruising breakage and
destruction of in iterial to no purpose.
Ist. Carpenters work put together under his
superintendence, the nave roof fitted together
on the ground. The foreman removing the
same into the interior of the church ready for
erection, compelled by your clerk to be taken
back and refitted, and nothing done; the delay
causing three or four days drawback.
2nd. Allowing men to work thither and then
condemning it afterwards ; causing loss of labour
and material. Also allowing the joints of fram-
ing which he had previously sanctioned by giv-
ing lines for same, our foreman copying the
same for the guidance of the men at Stonr-
bridge, your clerk altering the plan, flinging the
men at Stourbidge out, and also condemning
work which he had not seen for four months.
Gentlemen,—We trust you will view the course
we have taken in a calm and deliberate spirit.
We are not actuated by malice or revenge to-
wards your servant. Our object in the matter is
to enable our employer to fulfil his contract.
Signed on behalf of the men,