INSTRUCTION ON SATURDAYS

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22135, 3 July 1937, Page 16

INSTRUCTION ON SATURDAYS

TECHNICAL COLLEGE CLASSES

DECISION OF BOARD OF

GOVERNORS

"VIOLATION OF PRINCIPLE

OF FIVE-DAY WEEK"

On the casting vote of the chairman, Mr T W West, the Christchurch Technical College Board of Governors decided last evening to continue the Saturday morning classes which were introduced three months ago as an experiment. There was a long and keen discussion on the subject, and several members of the board expressed their opposition to the classes as against the principles of recent legislation. Discussion of the subject, which was raised in a report of the appointments committee, had been deferred from the previous month. The report recommended that a conference of interested bodies should be called in Christchurch to discuss the classes and means of inducing larger attendances at them. When the matter was raised again { last evening Mr J. W. Roberts said they should first of all consider whether the classes were to continue. It might be known to members of the board that the Labour Party had agitated for a five-day week. If Saturday morning classes were continued it meant that the principle would be broken down. Some would not get their week-end and caretakers would have to work on the Saturday afternoon. It was altogether against the principles of the Labour Party. The five-da.y week had been unjustly challenged on the grouncs that there was increasing drunkenness, but it was astounding "to think that the very men who had supported the unemployed during the depression should suddenly have become drunkards. He was opposed to any tendency to violate the principle of the five-day week, and as controllers of a working man's college he thought the board of governors should support the principle and oppose the Saturday morning classes. He moved that they be discontinued. He was not a member of the Labour Partv, as was Mr Roberts, said Mr G. W. Shipley, chairman of the appointments committee, but he was in favour of the five-day week, and did not want to see it violated. There was a certain type of youth abusing the advantages oi the increased leisure, but he did not think they would take the opportunity of attending the classes in any case.

Attendance at Classes

The principal. Dr. D. E. Hansen, said that there were nine classes on Saturday mornings. They had been begun by a circular of the evening classes' offering the pupils the opportunity of taking either fuller courses or fewer evening classes. There was an average of 15 in a class and the attendances now were larger than when they started. He thought that if the classes were discontinued both the pupils and the instructors would really regret it. The chairman said the classes were introduced with the permission of the Education Department in Wellington. Strict instructions had been given to him by the Trades and Labour Council to vote against the Saturday morning classes, said Mr A. H. Scales, if the classes were not voluntary and were to the monetary gain of the instructors. A new Apprentices Act was due shortly and in it provision was likely to be made for attendance at classes by apprentices in their employers' time. In Australia there were no Saturday classes at all. said Mi- F. M. Robson in supporting the motion. . Mr West said he was in favour of the classes. If young men and women in Christchurch wanted them it was the duty of the board to supply the want. It was not possible to put everything on the five-day week and seme trades must be run for the public benefit. This was to the benefit of the young people. The motion was put and there was an equal division of six for and against it. The chairman's vote was against the motion.

Mr Shipley then moved that the proposed conference be called. Mr Roberts moved as an amendment, that no further action be taken. Another equal division of six occurred and the chairman's vote was given against the amendment and the motion was carried. A further division of six on each side occurred on the question of representation at the conference and the chairman decided in favour of two from each body.