APPRENTICE’S CLAIM

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 November 1934, Page 7

APPRENTICE’S CLAIM

•‘NOT PROPERLY TRAINED.” [PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, November 16. Alleging that he had not been properly trained, in accordance with the terms of his apprenticeship contract, Gilbert Archer, furniture upholsterer, claimed £5OO damages from S. S. Williams and Co. Ltd., in the Wellington Supreme Court to-day. Plaintiff alleged that he had been deprived of the opportunity of attaining the status of a tradesman as a journeyman upholsterer, and said he had not been able to obtain work since the expiration of his contract eithei as an improver, under-rate worker, or journeyman in the upholstering trade. The "defence denied the allegations and contended the performance of the contract and the remedies for a breach were provided for by the Apprentice Act, and plaintiff was restricted to the remedies of the Act. At the conclusion of the case, counsel for the defence applied for a nonsuit. . Mr Justice Reed reserved his decision.

“MILES BEHIND ENGLAND.” A statement that New Zealand was miles behind England in some of its legislation was made during the hearing of the case, when whether the right at common law to claim damages was available to an apprentice whose contract incorporated statutory terms and remedies, was under discussion. It was pointed out that in a previous case the Full Court, in dealing with apprentices held that an apprentice was limited by the Apprenticeship Act to the remedies imposed thereby. Because that Act and its amendments formed a complete code governing apprentice matters it was argued by counsel for defendants that all possible contingencies were meant to be covered by the 1923 Act, and that if any further contingencies arose they i were met by amendments. “We are miles behind England in the legislation which you would think would be altered here,” said Mr Justice Reed. “For instance, in the protec-’ tion of miners working in coal mines we are miles behind England in that. Attention has been drawn to it, but no alteration has been made.”