APPRENTICES

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 89, 14 April 1923, Page 11

APPRENTICES

IMPROVING PRESENT LAW

QUESTIONS TO BE FACED

STAGES, CRTJX OF PROBLEM.

(By; "Observer.")

1 New Zealand* apprenticeship law is generally acknowledged to be sadly antiquated, and not at all in keeping; ■with'modern .practice and custom. For a lons time past it has been urged that ■ the existing legislation on the subject should be brought up to date, and to that end a Bill haa been prepared and its provisions will be discussed at a joint conference', of representatives of employers' and •workers' organisations to be held at the'head office of the Labour Department this month. The main provisions? of the Bill have already been outlined in "The Post." ' "BLIND ALLEY" .OCCUPATIONS. For years past attention has been drawn to the drift of boys into what have been termed "blind alley" occupy tions, and various theories have been put forward as to how this; undesirable tendency can be overcome. In discussing this question, it seems to be pertinent to consider the factor of wages.' Since the war rates of remuneration of unskilled workers have, it istdaimed, in- ] creaeed out of proportion' with those ruling in the skilled trades, and to this is attributed, in large measure, the reluctance of boya to embark upon artisan . careers. An additional reason for lads neglecting to enter trades i*'. the attractively high rates of pay which they can earn at unskilled work almost as soon as they leave school; whereas if they ele.ct to become apprentices to skilled trades—that is, assumins that parents leave it to" their children entirely to decide for themselves what they shall do after their schooling has been completed in accordance with the requirements of the Education Act—the wages in the first few years are comparatively low. This is. no doubt, .a consideration which weighs heavily, in large families, where the chief breadwinner finds it is a matter of no email difficulty to pay high rent and keep pace with the cost of living. But, in point of fact, it is really a short-sighted policy on the jart of the parents to_ envcourage their eons to take up unskilled \vork at the. very outset of their lives merely because the wagee offering are V alluring at the time. Tjie future should not be lost sight of, because it is generally the case that those ■who have entered upon "blind alley" occupations in I their youth, at some time or other, become a drug on the labour market, and in periods of depression form the greater j part of the army of unemployed. The crux of the apprentice problem, therefore, would appear to be the relation between the rates of wages ruling in skilled trades and those obtaining for . unskilled work, particularly in the early years. It is contended by some authorities that after 1 serving their apprenticeship skilled tradesmen should bo paid wages 50 per cent, higher than those paid to unskilled -workers. At the present time, the Arbitration Court pro- . vides for skilled workers being paid 25 per cent, higher wages than unskilled workers, but, despite this differentiation, tradesmen who Have forsaken their tools and benches to take their chance in ob- . taining work on the waterfront,'' or in. other avenues of unskilled employment, have not been tempted to return to their former avocations, to become proficient in which they have had to pass through years of apprenticeship. The whole trouble seems to he either that the wages fixed for skilled workers are too low, or else that the remuneration for unskilled callings is too high. COST OF PRODUCTION. The question resolves iteelf into one of standard, and wages standards in New Zealand are fixed mainly by the Arbitration Court, which, apart from its periodical general order pronouncements, takes the cost of living into account when framing its awards. At any rate, it is assumed that it does so. Whether the Court would be willing to widen further the margin between the rates of remuneration for skilled and unskilled work might be open to question, especially as to do so would lead to an advance in cost of production, and this, on general grounds, is undesirable. It is understood, however, that in the United States the wages of skilled workers are considerably higher than for unskilled; workers, and that in the States ,the efficiency of the tradesman is a factor which counts for much so far as his earning-power is concerned. There are some in New Zealand who hold that efficiency should be the gauge by which the standard of . remuneration is determined, but in the Labour world there is a considerable section which maintains that wages should be assessed according to the variations in the cost of living. AN ANTIQUATED LAW. But, apart altogether from the important consideration of wages, there are' other .reasons, why the apprenticeship law of the Dominion needs remodelling. The New Zealand Master and Apprentice Act of 1865 is copied on the lines of tho English Act, and some'of its provisions are now a dead letter. For instance, the Act assumes that the apprentice is going to live with the employer, an ancient English custom, and stipulates that the indenture shall contain a covenant that during the term of the apprenticeship the masteT shall "pro vide the apprentice with sufficient food, clothing, and bedding 1, and that the apj prentice shall attend Divine service when practicable at least once on every Sunday, and shall have particular attention paid to his morals." While it may be very requisite that apprentices should attend church on Sundays, and haye attention paid to .their morals, these are matters to which modern thought considers parents should attend in every well-ordered home. Where home environment 13 not what it should be, employers might find it a problem of considerable perplexity to train up their apprentices spiritually in the way they should go. The Act also lays it down that employers shall bank, moneys to be drawn by the apprentices when they have served their time. ■ Although tho Act enjoins employers to teach their apprentices properly and to see'that they learn their trades, it is felt that under modern conditions, when the tendency is to break trades down to a large extent and specialise in particular directions, it is not always practicable \o fulfil the strict letter of the law. THE ARBITRATION COURT. . The whole apprenticeship question h certainly surrounded by many difficult ties, but there is room to doubt whether the proposed Bill, about which employers and journeymen each hold opposing views, will have the effect of increasing the numbers of skilled artisans. Rather than trouble the Legislature to attempt a solution of the problem Some authorities hold that it would be better to leave the matter in the hands of the , -Arbitration Court, which already has the power to fix all the conditions of apprentices' employment. Whethei tho^

Legislature or the Court should be charged with the duty of improving existing conditions is a point to which the coming conference will, no doubt, give consideration, but that there is ample scope for improvement is frankly admitted by both employers and employees.