EMPLOYMENT FOR BOYS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 275, 21 November 1929, Page 8

EMPLOYMENT FOR BOYS.

ARBITRATION COURT VIEWS.

OPPOSED TO RESTRICTIONS.

ELECTRICAL BUSINESS.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

CHRISTCHURCH, this day.

"We don't want boys in blind-alley employments. The trouble to-day is to absorb boys and girls, and if we can find new trades it will, be all the better," declared Mr. Justice Frazer p the Arbitration Court, in a discussion on the general question of limiting the number of boys to be employed in trades.

The discussion arose following the finding of the Court that the electrical manufacturing business did not come within the scope of the CanterburyElectrical. Workers' Award. The judge said that in other partg of the world the assembling in the electrical trade was done by girls, who were well paid. If a cry were made about cheap labour, and boys were kept out of trades, New Zealand Avould find itself with veiy few manufacturers at all. No :one was: suggesting that parents should, be put out of work to provide "employment .for boys. He Would not be a party to giving bovs and girls work which was too hard for them. Mr. W. Cecil Prime (for the electrical manufacturing firm): Can't we go further, and say that the restriction of boys in trades will limit the number that can be absorbed, and will force them into the ranks of unskilled workers? If the number of apprentices to be taken on is limited, and no provision made for unskilled and boy labour, the cost of the industry will be increased. , , The growth of the electrical business in New°Zealand was pointed out by Mr. L J. Schmidtt, the employers' assessor. He said that 76,0000,000 units .generated in 1919 had now risen to, 594,000,000 units.