TRADES SCHOOL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 201, 26 August 1935, Page 10

TRADES SCHOOL.

MR. ALLUM'S REPLY. CRITICISM RESENTED. SUBSTITUTING BOYS FOB MEN "I know of nothing which justifies the Trades and Labour Council's criticism i of the suggested trades school," declared Mr. J. A. C. Allum, president of the Auckland Manufacturers' Association, chairman of the Board of Managers of the Seddon Memorial Technical College and a member of the executive of the Employers' Association, in an interview this morning. "The Manufacturers' Association will be no partv to any proposal which has for its object the" substitution of boy labour for man labour," he said, "and I know of no case where any individual manufacturer is attempting anything of the kind." The highest possible standard of living for the workers is the policy of New Zealand manufacturers, and "so long as the manufacturers are reasonably protected they need not fear the ever-present menace of the competition of cheap labour power aavilable in other countries. "The conference which was held at the Seddon Memorial Technical College," Mr. Allum proceeded, "was not a conference of employers and was not sponsored bv the controlling authority of the college." While the Board of Managers of the Technical College is always pleased to help in matters of technical education, it is hardly likely that it will create a trade school as part of an already crowded college. If the board should call any conference to discuss this matter there is no doubt that representatives of all interests would be invited to attend. "So far as the Employers' Association is concerned, it is only fair to that organisation to say that it has not even discussed the matter. "Personally I hold the very definite view that every young person has the right to the opportunity to be trained for the trade or calling which he or she selects. In the trades the best training is obtained by a combination of apprenticeship and technical education. In recent years, however, many young people have not been able to find emplovers able or willing to apprentice them, and these should have the opportunity for full training at a technical or trades school. "I think the Apprenticeship Act requires an overhaul, not for the objects recited in the Labour Council's statement, but with the idea of making it more workable. It is within my own experience that some employers are unwilling to engage apprentices under present conditions, and this attitude is of such vital importance to young people that it requires investigation. "I am utterly opposed to the employment of young people in the place of adults, but" I do believe that they should have the opportunity to be trained, and anyone who opposes this training assumes a very great responsibility." Mr. Shackell's View. "As the member of the Auckland Manufacturers' Association responsible for bringing forward the proposition for the inauguration of a trade school in Auckland, I feel that a reply to. the employees' view is necessary," stated Mr. A. J. Shackcll to-day.

"In the first place the Trades and Labour Council states that 'manufacturing interests desired to abrogate the provisions of the Apprentices' Act, etc' This is not at all what is desired. The scheme as outlined by me had general reference to all manufacturing industries and to the female workers in the clothing industry in particular. It was pointed out that foremen were reluctant to engage apprentices, as past experience proved that in innumerable instances an apprentice would be put on and after many weeks of patient instruction it was'found that she was not apt and had to be put off before the probationary period expired. Of course, many have turned out bright and intelligent and have made rapid progress. "The bonus system under which most manufacturers in the clothing industry are working, that is, payment on results, does not create much enthusiasm amongst journey women to teach apprentices, and when all is considered teaching is a highly specialised profession, worked out on definite lines. "The scheme is not intended to be an alternative to apprenticeship; on the contrary it would act as a feeder to it. What is desired is that whatever period is put in by a learner at a trades school should be allowed off the apprenticeship period and the pupil entering industry would be entitled to the wages ruling under the award; as an example, a pupil who has had instruction equalling, say, six months, would be paid at the same rate as if she had put the six months in with an employer. "With regard to tho boot and shoe industry, it was my privilege to be present at the initial meeting called by Mr. Slaughter, and the discussion which took place did not convey to me any desire on the part of the employers to replace men with boys; on the contrary, it was emphasised that highly skilled labour was required, and it was thought that efficient instruction in a trades school would In course of time bring about the desired result. It is not to be overlooked that Mr. Bromley, the chairman of the Unemployment Board, was present at this meeting on behalf of those on relief. "It has been stated that the union secretary has 120 unemployed workers on his bQQks. Are these all highly skilled tradesmen! I think it probable that a considerable number may be just ordinary boot repairers and not the type of worker that is required. It has also been mentioned that tho employees' representatives should be consulted. With this I agree, but my own experience in tho clothing industry, when putting the scheme to the union secretary, was a refusal to consider it, and this without a knowledge of what was desired."