BOY LABOUR.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 80, 6 April 1910, Page 10

BOY LABOUR.

AVOIDING BLIND ALLEYS. One of the most promising developments of the newly-formed English Labour Kxchanges is the extension of the provisions to boys and girls in search of work. It has 'ong Deen recognised that the army of casual labour is the inevitable result of boys, immediately they leave fchool, taking up some unskilled occupation, for which they are too old in a few years. "That," said an official of the Labour Exchange Department of the Board of Trade to a Daily Chronicle representative, "is the blind alley, and the object of our new regulations is to abolish it if possible. Thousands of boys and girls, when they leave school, take tome light job for the sake of the four or five shillings a week. They become vanboys and errand-boys, and when they are too old for that sort of employment they have no trade to fall back upon. They become casual labourers, and are more or less out of work from one year's end to another. The object of the new regulations is primarily to give these lads— and girls, too— an opportunity of, getting work for which they may be adapted." The Higher Education Sub-Committee of the London County Council has lug§ested that there 6nould be juvenile ranches of the Labour Kxchanges, which should be put into close touch with tho elementary schools, the trade schools, children's care committees, and existing voluntary associations dealing with apprenticeship, employment, and care of children. So far as present arrangements go, the existing Labour hxchanges are to be used for registration purposes by juveniles, but Die new regulations make it possible for any or all of the Education Committee's suggestions >o be adopted. "The idea of the Board of Trade goes further than mere registration. It is intended to find out the kind of woik for which boys are best suited cr have an inclination for, and help them, as far as possible, to get that work." One of the recommendations of the Poor-law Commission was that associated with Labour Exchanges there should

! bo, in connection with every public elementaiy school, an intelligence bateau, which would advioe parents and tcaihers as to the blanches of employment likely to give the best openings for children leaving school. The Bon id of Trad» has not gone quite n> far as this recommendation, hut one of the new legulations is a step 111 the same direction. This provides for the application of the regulations by any local education authority for higher education, "who has or mnv acquire statutory powers for the purpose of giving advice, information, or assistance to boys and girls with respect to the choico of employment or other matters beat ing thereon." The education authority inns'. submit its scheme for tho exercise of tho*e powers to the Board of Education. and it must be approved by that boaid and the Board of Trade before it is put into operation. While the existing exchanges arc to be used in the meantime, provision is made for registration "at such other places as may be recognised by the Board of Trade as suitable for the purpose." More important, however, is the establishment of advisory committee* in selected areas. These committees will give advirc with regard to the management of any Labour Exchange in their district* in relation to juvenile applicants for employment. They will include persons with knowledge and experience of education and of other conditions affecting young people, as well as representatives of employers and workmen, and will be presided over by a chairman appointed by the Board of Trade. Labour Exchange officers (elected by the Board of Trade and U.M. inspectors of schools chosen by the Board of Education will attend the meetings of these advisory committees, although they will not be members of them. And finally the advisory committees, either by themselves or in cooperation with other authorities will give information, advice, and assistance to boys and girls and their parents with respect to the choice of employment. When it is remembered that between 70 and 80 per cent, of boys enter unskilled occupations on leaving school, it will be seen that there is a vast field of work before the Labour Exchanges in their new scheme.