ARBITRATION COURT

Evening Star, Issue 20309, 18 October 1929, Page 13

ARBITRATION COURT

APPRENTICESHIP CASES CONSIDERED Several apprenticeship cases came before the Arbitration Court _ yesterday afternoon. The first was in respect to contracts for a young man at an Alexandra garage and a youth at a Waipiata garage. Air G. H. Lightfoot (inspector of factories) stated that the Apprenticeship Committee had declined to register tho contracts, and the parties therefore appealed to the court. Air Justico Frazer said he_ thought the court understood the position. The two matters had been adjourned from the last sitting of the court. The position was that the Apprenticeship Committe, or part of tho committee at any rate, was not satisfied regarding the facilities provided for teaching the two employees their trade. Air Lightfoot said that so far as the Alexandra apprentice was concerned his employer had a fair amount of working plant. The apprentice was quite satisfied with tho training he was get ting, and he wished to complete jiis 'time there. With regard to tho Waipiata youth, although the employer had not much plant in his garage, tho apprentice was also quite satisfied with tho training he was getting, and there seemed no doubt that ho would turn out a good journeyman. His Honour said that tho Alexandra apprentice had only six months to go to complete his term, and it would bo absurd to refuse,an apprenticeship contract. Tho position was a littlo more difficult in regard to tho Waipiata youth. He had two years to go, and the circumstances were rather peculiar. The court did not wish to' lay down a precedent on tho matter, but this was really an exceptional case, and it might bo that tho equipment in the garage would be added to in tho future. Tho employer was, however, reported to be a good tradesman, and ho wanted to keep tho boy and the boy wanted to stay with him. The garage was in a remote part of the district, and they considered they would be quite right to stretch a point and allow tho apprenticeship to go on. Both contracts would therefor© be approved. APPRENTICES IN CAMP. An application was mad© by the Engineering Trades Apprenticeship Committee for an order in tho direction of paying apprentices tho difference between their ordinary wages and tho money they received from tho Defence Department while they were attending annual military camps or undergoing annual naval training. Tho point is that at present apprentices in camp receive both their wages and the payment from the Defence Department. The order asked for was in the direction of doing away with the present payment by tlie employers, and in cases where apprentices, for instance, are receiving more wages than tho money they receive from tho Defence Department tho employers to mako up the difference. Air Lightfoot said lie understood that Air Rice, secretary of tho Amalgamated Engineers’ Union, had raised an objection on tho opening day of the court that tho recommendation arrived at by the committee was not a unanimous one. There had been only four members Tho committee was composed of thirteen members, but that there was often a difficulty in getting a quorum of four. The engineering, boilermaking, and iron and brassmoulding trader were represented on tho committee. His Honour said tho court had yet to hear a number of application of this kind, and it was just possible that the court might see its way to insert a clause to clear up tho position. The court considered that it would bo better to hold over tho matter, on general grounds, so that tho whole of tho applications could be dealt with together. Tho case would remain on the list, and did not need to bo mentioned again. This case concluded the sitting.