UNEMPLOYMENT.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20624, 13 August 1932, Page 18

UNEMPLOYMENT.

POSITIONS FOR BOYS. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE COMMITTEE. ARRANGEMENTS FOR NEXT MONTH'S CAMPAIGN. Tt was reported at yesterday afternoon's meeting of the Chamber of Commerce Boys' Unemployment Committee that arrangements aro well for next month's campaign for the stimulation of trade and tho employment of 500 boys. An interesting discussion took place on Br. C. E. Beeby 's scheme for bridging the transition period between school and work, the report on which appeared in The Truss of July 30th.

There wore present: Messrs T. NGibbs (chairman), M. E. Lyons.. S. It. Evison, A. C. Maxwell, H. P. Donald, A. J. McEldowney, H. Bourke, L. E. dc Berry, W. It. Gahagan, W. McAlister, G. M. Keys, 11. B. Duckworth, J. L. Hay, Father Burger, tho Rev. R. de Lambert, the Rev. T. V. Armour, Dr. C. E. Beeby, and Mr J. Roy • Smith (secretary).

Providing for the Transition Period. Dr. Beeby, in opening the discussion on Ins scheme for bridging tlio traTisition period between school and work, Baid that he was not insepar: bly -wedded to the scheme, and since he wrote the report, his views had been qualified as a result of a meeting with tho subcommittee of the Manufacturers' Association. Ho claimed that tho scheme attempted to take tho long and short range of views. The reasons for the scheme were the unemployment among boys and tho necessity for the relaxation of apprenticeship restrictions. The most important point was the relationship between skilled and unskilled labour. One member of tho Manufacturers' Association's subcommittee had asserted that he could guarantee to teach in one day the jobs that wore comprised in a three years' apprenticeship. Somo jobs, because they were at one timo skilled, continued to be called skilled. With the gradual simplification of jobs owing to machinery the educative value of tho apprenticeship system was shrinking definitely. A person to bo of use in industry at present must be readily adaptable. Many thought that education was out of sympathy with life, and that there was necessity' for cross-fertilisation with industry. Between the ages of H and 1G there should be a twin probationary period. He emphasised the noces'ity for more industrial training and said that what New Zealand industries suffered from was the poor training given to tho workers of the Dominion. Thin was duo to the comparative smalluess of the Dominion's industries; in the largo firms in England there' were schools for training the worker.

Worth, a Trial. The chairman said that the report was a most useful contribution towards, the solution of tho present difficulties. Jlc suggested that a committee might assist Dr. Beeby in elaborating tho scheme. Mr L. F. de Berry said the scheme was woll worth consideration, though ho realised that no ono scheme would satisfy everyone. Of all the constructive schemes put before them, Dr. Beeby'a offered the best opportunity of doing something. Tho whole S3'stem of

what was called technical education would need reconsideration from the point of view of education ae education and industry as industry. Simply to take a boy from school and put him into a technical school and put him to so-called technical work did not necessarily make him a skilled worker. Each ►school ought to be associated with a factory, so that each group of factories would have an educational side to it. The only way to test Dr. Beeby'a scheme was to get at least ono industrial group to try it out. He would not like to see the scheme pigeon-holed. Scheme to Tie Elaborated. Mr G. M. Keys said he thought that greater difficulty would bo- oxperieuecd on the educational rathor than the industrial side in giving effect to the scheme, and he suggested that a committee of teachers engaged in the. practical side of such work should be set up to consider how the scheme would work. Tho Rev. R. de Lambert said that the matter should not be considered from tho point of view of whether it would pay or not, but from tho view of what 'was going to make for the salvation of the boys from what at present they were headed. To leave r. thousand boys unemployed was to invito disaster. Dr. Beeby, replying to the chairman, said, that a sub-committee that would set out the objections to the schemo wouJd be of assistance. The following sub-committee was set up:—.Dr. Hansen, Messrs L. Y. dc Berry, G. M. Keys, IT. B. Duckworth, G. Lancaster, C. Ogilvio, and A. O. Wilkinson. The sub-committee was asked to elaborate the report and put it into a. shape in which it'could be passed on to the Government and" the other bodies. Dr. Beeby declined appointment to tho sub-committee, buf said that he would give ail assistanco possible. Opportunities Committee. Mr J. L. Hay, reporting on behalf of tho Opportunities Committee, said that tho organisation was well under way for next month's campaign. The committee had been hard at work, and had met ou a number of occasions. The details of the scheme had been threshed out and arranged. There had been much helpful publicity in the newspapers, and it had created a good impression. Tho crucial meeting would be held on Thursday night in the Chamber of Commerce Hall, which he hoped would be packed to the doors. He appealed to every member of the committee to attend the meeting and to induce all those they came into contract with to attend. In all probability the Mayor would preside at the meeting. The whole schema would bo outlined, and it was hoped to arouse great enthusiasm in connexion with tho campaign. Mr Hay added that according to roports in Sydney newspapers just to hand a committee of representative citizens of Sydney was dealing with a scheme almost similar to the Christchurch one. In Sydney all interests concerned in the stimulating of trade were Vicing linked up. lie had written for details.

Several matters arising out of the re port were discussed in committee. Tho report was adopted.

Welfare Centres Formed. !M r M. K. Lyons reported on behalf of the Welfare Committee, and said that a centre had been formed at Sydenham, and a meeting had been arranged for next week to form a centre in Linwood. Tho committee intended trying to establish two centres each week. Tho report was adopted. Continuation Classes. Mr S. E. Evison roportod that the Education Board was making definite onquiries as to how far the manual training centres could be used for continuation classes. When the schools resumed ho hoped to havo something definite to report. The report was received. Various Matters. Oji the motion of Mr Afclildowuey it was decided that the Continuation

Class and Registration Committees should be a joint committee to consider the questionnaire in connexion, \rith. the census of boys who will be leaving school at the end of the year. The chairman welcomed Mr W. E. Gahagan, vice-chairman of the Board of Governors of the Christchurch Technical College, to a scat on the committee. He expressed regret that Dr. D. E. Hansen, director of the CTiristchurch Technical College, was ill, anil hoped that he would soon recover.

It was decided to write, through the manager of the Christchurch office of the New Zealand Insurance Company, to the directors, recording tin* committee's appreciation of the steps taken by the company to employ boys, and expressing a hope that the company's action would prove to be th<> forerunner of similar action by other companies and employer?.

MEETING OF APPRENTICESHIP COMMITTEES. For tho purpose of discussing tir. problem of unemployment among boyj and the various schemes that have been advanced to combat it, a meeting of members of Apprenticeship Committees and of executives of trades unions that have such committees, has been called bv the Canterbury Engineering and Allied Trades Union for Wednesday. At a meeting of the council of the Canterbury Industrial Association on Thursday evening the campaign that is to be launched by the Chamber of Commerce Boys' Unemployment Committee was criticised, and it was decided to set up a deputation to vi-ait on the Canterbury School Committees' Association, to put before it the couucil'-; objections to the campaign. In thi.*, the council will act in conjunction with the meeting that has been convened by the Engineers' Union for Wednesday evening.

VEGETABLE-GROWING SCHEME.

DOMAINS BOARD»S OFFER. A. meeting of the Garden Allotment Committee was held yesterday afternoon. Mr M. J. Barnett presided. A letter was received from the Christchureh Domains Board offering the triangular block of land in. Hagley Pari:, lying to the west of the United Tenuis Club's courts, for the use of the committee in apportioning blocks to the unemployed to grow vegetables. The Board stipulated that it should not be involved in any cost and that it should say how the ground was to be laid out. Mr H. Kitson said the land offered was the most fertile in the Park and was in splendid condition, having recently been ploughed, levelled, and manured. A start could be made immediately, The Domains Board's offer was grate-, fully accepted. , It was pointed put that the aTea of land, and the amount of seed required by a man with live dependents would be too much for a pian with fewer dependents, and that to allot a specified

■ '7\3*j area to every person wouM-as!-: able. It was aecordi4*M&* set up a sub-conunitteTfi MM matter and to bring Ho*?&£lk Mr Kitson said that land Refrigerating ComS l&h prepared to provide fSttSJ&* committee at cost so desired, make any ntfcrtriSl?' committee's requirmcnta^L^iM It was left to the secretary to arrange for Bfl£Hiffil£* al Mr m T n D SB?* nnm sity for obtaining City and suburbs, to b« mSiSSR" employed,, and it.*Tu to the various local ir they had any epafe u3 !SHP| he used by the WnjShJjJpt l CAMPAIGN FOR POSI^g, BOTO - ■'-Si PPXEDUf, iSjKL A business men's "HmrifliiroinL set up to organise a the object of placing IftkaSgfi employment, A letter support has been seat ttrfflS nouses, and -a campajgij ''ffifjaffij days will ba commenced oj£]gi]gKn