THE LABOR MOVEMENT

Evening Star, Issue 18050, 18 August 1922, Page 2

THE LABOR MOVEMENT

[By Veteran.]

Brief contributions on matters with , reference to the Labor Movement are invited. ’training apprentices. I have heard several complaints recently that apprentices are not properly taught their trades by those responsible lor teaching them. Of course, it sometimes happens that after a youth has been put to learn a particular trade ho becomes careless or indifferent, and neglects his work, so that when his five or six apprenticeship is finished ho is still an incompetent -tradesman, and has to apply for an under-rate permit or leave- the trade which ho is supposed to have learned. This should not be. and some remedy ought to be found to prevent it. I have often heard of employers saying that tire unions ought to be able to guarantee them-competent tradesmen; but how,can they if the employers themselves neglect the training of their apprentices? I came across a case the other day where a young man had served five years, and at tho end of that time he was told that he was not worth a journeyman’s wage, and was offered less than two-thirds of the award rate. I ■made some inquiries into this case, and found that tho young man was competent in one branch of the trade, but was very indifferent in other branches that he ought to have learned, and could not he called an all-round hand', and would probably have, to leave the trade for something else. Cases of this kind l should not occur under our New Zealand Arbitration Act, because, while it is incumbent upon the apprentice to be diligent and attend to his work, there is also a duty laid upon tho employer. In most awards of the court there appears the following:—“Any employer taking an apprentice to learn, the trade shall bo -deemed to undertake the duty which ho agrees to perform as a duty enforcible under this" award.” On taking an apprentice the employer has three mouths allowed in which to determine tho fitness of tho apprentice to learn the trade. If after that the youth misconducts himself 'the employer can discharge him. Under these circumstances there should not be many incompetent tradesmen turned out. Tho other day I received through the post the annual report and balance-sheet of tho Typographical Union, which are to be presented to tho annual meeting on. Saturday, August 26. In the report I find tho following remarks on this subject: “ While advocating the necessity of boys attending tho Technical School _ for tho purpose, of getting a hotter insight into their trade, we hold a very strong conviction that in fow of tho printing offices here—and we have reason to believe that it is the same in all the- other places—is a boy, after ho has finished his time, turned out fit to take his place in any printing office as a competent journeyman. This is especially so where a great amount of the work of tho office is done by tho linotypes. la these cases a boy is kept doing drudgery work created by linotype matter, and spends a great part of his apprenticeship employed on work which cannot by anv stretch be classed as of much uso to him as a journeyman. But even in offices which have not so much of this class of work boys are often turned out as indifferent tradesmen. The result is that tho firm which taught—or is-supposed to have taught—them their trad© refuses to employ them, and the journeyman is thrown out ill qualified to look to any other firm to give him full wages. This is unfair, and frequently is the cause of the man being compelled to get work in some other avenue. These remarks apply, not only to our particular branch of tho trade, but also to other branches. In tho interests of good craftsmanship some concerted action should bo taken, cither by the ifedorations or by the unions, to see that tho emu-lovers fully fulfil their part of tho contract‘to turn out qualified journeymen fit to take their place in any printing office and command full wages.” « » •» # TRAMWAY MEN AND FREE PASSES. The Wellington Tramways Union, in asking for a new agreement, desired to be put on the same footing as_ tho Auckland tramway employees by being granted a free pass on the trams while not on duty. It was pointed out that this privilege granted to tho Auckland men was canal to 4s per week, and Wellington men wished to have tho same privilege as their Auckland brothers. It may be mentioned that the Auckland men are tho only ones in all the tramway systems in the dominion to whom passes are issued to_ travel on all cars and at all times. > It is interesting -to read an account‘by “Industrial Tramp” as to how these passes came to bo granted Ho rays “ Under the old regime of the Auckland Electric Tramways Company tho head office was in London, and tho chairman of directors, Mr Tegetmeior, made it a practice to pay a visit to Auckland about every three years in order to keep in touch with the system. On one of these trips, about thirteen years tho visit of Mr Tegetmeier happened to coincide with the application of tho local union for a fresh working agreement or award, and he took part in a, conference with delegates from tho union. Up till that time ‘tho men had been carried free to and from their work only. When off duty and on private business it_ was expected they should travel as ordinary passengers: but the conductor on the car felt a natural reluctance to collect the fares from his own mates, and conspicuously overlooked them. When an inspector boarded tho car at ono end it,was not an uncommon sight to see half a dozen employees in plain clothes leave tho car at the. opposite end before it came to a stop. The union felt that this state of things was undesirable, and tho secretary of the union was instructed to put tho matter to Mr Tegetmeier, and ask for a free pass at all times for all employees, and the union would be prepared to pay tho company 10s per head per annum. In making the request the secretary delved into Scripture, and quoted the Mosaic injunction ‘ Thou shall not muzzle the ox that treadeth out tho coni.’ Mr Tegetmeier laughed, and said that the 10s per man per year was a mere bagatelle to tho company compared with the amount represented by the loss of faros that were uncollected. Ho said : ‘ I will give you the free pass for nothing if you will do your best to collect every fare that you arc entitled to collect.’ This undertaking was given by the secretary, who also asked: ‘ Will that include tho secretary, too?’ and Mr Tegetmeier replied, laughing: ‘ Yes, we will make him an honcst'man, too.’ Ever since then tho Aucldand men have enjoyed their free pass, and their secretary has had his pass as well. When tho City Council took over tho system it continued tho concession.” “Industrial Tramp” has conducted many cases before the Conciliation Council and the Arbitration Court, and it would bo hard to find a case where he has not quoted Scripture some time during the proceedings; but I do not think ho often achieved tho samo success as with Mr Tegetmeier. * « # •» THE FORTY-HOUR WEEK. Henry Ford has announced a forty-hour week for all his employees. This means that all Ford plants will be shut down on Saturday and Sunday, giving tho men a two-day vacation in each week. The 6dol (255) minimum daily wage will bo continued. The production has not suffered by tho change, for the schedule for April closed' with 101,164 cars and trucks, and this increases last year’s production by 10,000. An increase of 200 men daily has been made for two weeks at tho Highland Park plant, and the. employees now total 40.000 men. Ford officials say that tho i business now in sight will justify making 1110.000 cars and trucks.