POLITICAL POINTS

Evening Star, Issue 19699, 28 October 1927, Page 11

POLITICAL POINTS

TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES IMPORTANT POINT IN APPRENTICESHIP [Feom Our Parliamentary Her outer.] WELLINGTON, October 27. The attention of the Minister of Labor was called in the House to-day by Mr Kyle (Jliccarton) to an important point affecting tho relations between master and apprentice. According to the last amendment of the law, under which committees in industrial districts exercise control over tho conditions affecting apprentices, an agreement, ho said, was entered into between a motor engineer named W. AVood to take M. J. Garth as apprentice to that trade, the arrangement starting on August 2; but on October 4 a letter was received from tho Labor Department stating that tho workshop was not satisfactorily equipped for the training of an apprentice, and that, in consequence, the indenture must bo cancelled. This lad, added Mr Kyle, was receiving instruction at the Christchurch Technical School three nights a week. Mi Howard (Christchurch South) asked if action was taken through the local committee. Mr Kyle: Yes. AVill the Minister obtain a report on this matter? ' The Hon. G. J. Anderson undertook to have the matter investigated. These committees, he explained, had power to refuse an apprenticeship where it was considered that facilities were not adequate to teach the trade. * * * * WHEN IS GAMBLE NOT A GAMBLE? An otherwise intolerably dull at tornoon in the House was enlivened by Mr Rotter (Boskill), who took advantage of question time to ask tho Minister of Justice whether, in view of tho fact Unit a number of ladies in tlic south had been prosecuted for organising something to provide a treat for poor children, and newspapers having been prosecuted' for publishing cross-word puzzles, lie would consider the advisability of instituting a prosecution against the magistrate who allowed two solicitors to toss a coin in court. (Laughter.) In his usual serious wav, the Hou. Mr Ilolloston replied that he understood the coin had been tossed in court in order to settle a question of priority of cases for hearing. This was tantamount to balloting for first place. It did not come within the provisions of the Gaming Act. Mr Rotter: It’s a game of chance. (Laughter.) Mr Hollcston: In any case I don't think tho magistrate was concerned in it. Mr Potter: But ho suggested it. Mr Speaker called on tho next item on the order paper. • ♦ • NATIVE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS. A suggestion was recently made to the Minister of Education by iAlr Hockly (Rotorua) that school holidays at Native schools should coincide with those of European schools. To-day >n the House the Hou. 11. AVrighb announced that lie had discussed tho matter with the officers of his department, and with several Native members of tho House, and ho could find no valid reason why tho holidays enjoyed by European children should be withheld from Native pupils. Therefore. he would give‘orders that the holidays in the two classes of schools shall be the same.