SLUMP VICTIMS

Evening Post, Issue 66, 15 September 1936, Page 11

SLUMP VICTIMS

UNEMPLOYED YOUTHS

PROVISION OF JOBS

A COMBINED MOVE

The acute problem of the employment, of youths and young men between the ages of 18 and 23 was. the subject of a joint conference yesterday between the New Zealand Manufacturers' Federation and the Federated Trades Councils. The representatives of the latter body were Messrs. F. D. Cornwell, A. Black, W. Atkinson, and J. Ferguson. The manufacturers were represented by Messrs. J. T. Spears, I. Matheson, J. G. Marshall, K. Pallo, and A. E. Mander.

The conference arose out of a letter from the manufacturers to the Trades Council in which it was stated that "manufacturers are very concerned at present on account of the number of youths and young men, roughly between the ages of 18 and 23, who are seeking employment but Who cannot, under existing conditions, be engaged. Most of these young fellows, it seems, are victims of the fact that the fewyears after their leaving school coincided with the years of the slump with the result that, now the slump is over, they are left stranded without trade or permanent occupation. In many ways the position of this particular generation is analogous to that of the returned soldiers of similar ages after the war; and we feel that some special arrangement should be made to prevent these young fellows being penalised for life—merely as a result of the fact that circumstances prevented their securing a proper footing during the slump." ■ TRADE UNIONS CONCERNED. It was made clear by Mr. Cornwell that the trade union movement, equally with manufacturers, was concerned about the future.welfare of these young men and desired that they should _be given an opportunity of entering trades. After a good deal of discussion a resolution was adopted that the manufacturers and workers should make ; joint representations to the Minister !of Labour welcoming his announcement that it was. intended to. exempt indentured apprentices from automatically coming under the provisions of the basid-wage at the age of 21. (In ,the absence of such exemption it Was realised that employers would be unwilling to start as apprentices any ;youths over the age of 16; and the purpose of the recommendation was to ;allow older lads to enter into indentures.) . ' It was decided also to recommend the Minister of Labour to instruct the ■district registrars of apprenticeship to call meetings of apprenticeship committees in each of the four centres in those industries.where committees are not at present functioning. The Minister is to be asked also to provide by legislation for apprenticeship to be controlled by one apprenticeship committee for each industry in each of the four centres (instead of each industrial district as at present). ' Finally, it was agreed to recommend the manufacturers' and workers' organisations throughout the Dominion to bring before apprenticeship committees the question of approving special contracts to allow the' apprenticeship of youths starting between the ages of 18 and 23. The terms of the foregoing resolutions are still subject to approval by the respective organisations represented at the conference.