THE BOOT TRADE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16214, 17 May 1918, Page 6

THE BOOT TRADE.

SUSPENSION OF AWARD

REFUSED.

(SPtCIAL TO "THE PRESS.")

WELLINGTON, May 18,. Recently the Arbitration Court constituted a Commission to deal an application from tho employers ia the boot industry in Dunedin to eu&pend the award governing tho employ, ment of apprentices, and in view of tho present industrial uncertainty and tha difficulty experienced in securing trork. ers. the matter is regardod as of great importance to the whole of New tealand. The application was vigorous!* • opposed by the Union, and in its re-' port to the (Joyernor-General the Com. mission has derided against tho applies tion. Tlie boot operatives' award provides for limitation of apprentices to the degree of one apnrentico to thrn journeymen, and the emplovers asked under .Section 2o of the regulations the 1 rade and Commerco Act, that the number of apprentices which may ha employed should be unlimited. The reI>ort refers to ilifiicultio.s experienced K» manufacturers in meeting the demands for their manufactures, which was at tributalile in tho first place to the larca quantities of boots required for militaSr purposes, and to the restricted importation ot footwear in consequence tho war, and in the second place to the depletion of staffs owing to the W " number of skilled workers who have enlisted. There is also some apprehension amonerst employers that their staffs trill ' be still further depleted as tho Seoond • Division is called up. - In giving its reasons for the opinion that the suggested alteration is nob neccssary or desirable, the Commissionmakes several remarks which are o? the greatest interest to all industrial 1 concerns It finds that it is not rw. sonahlo that, in order to meet a tore*/sure which may bo temporary, ui unlimited number of apprentices should be taken on, with a result that when . conditions became normal these apnren. tices. after having served their terms of apprenticeship, may find little 0r no demand for their services. It would also bo unfair to tho apprentices themselves as, if their numbers wero unlimited, it. is difficult to sco how ther could receive the teaching and exam. enco necessary to make them efficient! journeymen It would also he unfair to • those skilled workers in the industry wli° have enlisted, as they mi.ilit finil on their return to tho Dominion that ' they could not procure emplnvmont--ou ing to obligations entered into by th» employers with a large number of an.. prentices. The Commission added thaV although it appeared that some en-' ptoyers were hampered by tho rostric-" tion m the number of apprentices, mißr employers had not availed themsebw ? n i ° ta . ko n PP r entices to the I ', full extent permitted.