APPRENTICES BILL

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 10412, 20 October 1927, Page 5

APPRENTICES BILL

AAIENDING LEGISLATION BEFORE HOUSE

OPPOSITION WANT AIEASURE POSTPONED '

WELLINGTON, Oct. 19. it. When the Apprentices Amendment Bill was .called on in ' committee the Eeador of the Opposition' asked the Minister, of Labor if he would post-, pone this Bill xiutil tlie -Whole question could •b© • gone into thoroughly. Hfi,was receiving Abjections to the Bill from all parts of the Dominion, and i'he'ifailed to- see why this amendment. which was only a partial one, should Tie rushed through-at the end of tho session. ' Tfie' Hon. G. J.- Anderson said he could 'riot'postpone the Bill because he had asked for . suggestions and having received them, he felt that he -should give effect to them. The present - system of - determining an employer’s’quota, of' apprentices wqs riot Satisfactory, and if. the boys were to be given an opportunity to learn a trade, this amondriient must'he passed. Mr Veitcli said that while the Bill did not do- all' he would' lilce to see, ho considered it ari improvement on tho existing law and it would give apprentices a bettor opportunity of learning their'trade than heretofore. . Air AloKeen urged the. postponement of the Bill <is ii) had not, as yet, received \ mature consideration by the labor unioiis. Only one side had been consulted, and lie movod to report' progress in order that the* whole question might bo brought under review by all persons concerned:; -■ ■ _ "*■ t Sir .Xohn Luke said that if the Opposition wished to befriend the apprentices they should support the Government.

Mr Horn said that delays were dangerous in a, case of this kind, and he- could not; for that reason, support tho amendment. AD Howard declared that no clear statement of the position had been made, and that was the reason why the-Bill should be delayed. Mr McKeen’s amendment to report progress was ruled out -on the ground that the dinner adjournment had intervened before the amendment was put •The first clause of the -Bill was allowed to pass, and on the second clause Air Fraser again moved to report progress, not as he explained, to block the BSII. but to emphasise the need for further consideration. On a division the amendment was tost by o 3 votes to 15. . ..AD Sullivan said ...there, was no doubt the effect of the Bill would be to increase the number of apprentices. It was a tragedy to train more apprentices than could be absorbed in the trade for which the youth was trained.

The Hon! A. D. Young said it was far worse to deprive young men of tho opportunity to learn any trade for a tradesman always stood a better chance of obtaining work than one who had no trade at all. Alessrs Armstrong and Jordan argued that the unions were not- rcsnonsible for the present situation. The root of the troutOe was that employers were nob employing their quota of apprentices, because they would not be bothered with them. They preferred to import ready-made journeymen!..' After ..further criticism and objection by tlie Labor members (be clause was agreed to on tlie voices.

Air Fraser then moved a new clause, providing that no person be added to Hie list- of employers unless ho has been a journeyman in that trade, and was at that- time engaged in it: He said the object of tlie clause was to prevent the:ranks' of the employers being stuffed with bogus; names. ■ -. -.- Tlie Ministcx* said he could not- accept tlie amendment at that stage, hut he would consider the suggestion when lie was going into tlie whole question of apprentices. If The new clause was lost on the voices and the Bill was reported without amendment.

On the third reading AD Holland said the Lalior party had in committee endeavoured to get the Bull postponed in ' rder to give industrial organisations an opportunity of formulating their objections to it. The Minister, had, during the recess, circularised employers’ committees, hut the unions had no notice of tho intention'‘to introduce the- Bill, and their side of the case had not been heard. In that event lie sought to have- the Bill postponed. Sir j. Luke said notice had been sent to labor unions by the. clerk of the. Labor Bills Committee, and evidence offered was by no means hostile to the Bill. AD Sullivan said the Alinister was making a mistake. He was in fact, building on sand.

The Minister said lie was not building on sand, hut he was being guided Hv common sense and experience. Tlie alterations being made were in the right direction. • The third reading was agreed to. —P.A.