APPRENTICES ACT

Manawatu Times, Volume XLXI, Issue 3480, 14 December 1926, Page 5

APPRENTICES ACT

Address by Secretary of Labour ■AFFF' ATj TO ROTARIANS AS EMPLOYERS * At the Palmerston North RotaryClub yesterday, Mr. F. W. Rowley, Secretary of Labour, gave an interesting and instructive address on the origin, aims and objects of tiro Apprentices Act, at the same time making an appeal to the people of Palmerston North to assist the Department in the successful administration and application of the provisions of the Act. In stressing the importance of the Act, Mr. Rowley said that its primary object wa s the supply and regulation of skilled labour, by directing it into the right channels. For the last twenty years or so, special efforts had been made, and facilities had been provided, to lit boys for commercial and professional occupations. The purpose of the Apprentices Act was to correct this tendency, and concentrate more on the training of boys for primary and essential secondary industries. These industries wore really the more important, providing, as they do, the necessaries of life for, what Mr Rowley called the “cuff and collar brigade”, in which he included himself. The Modem Boy. The training and supervision of apprentices under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, continued the speaker, proved very satisfactory, and as the result of various conferences ,the Apprentices Act was drafted and enacted in 1923. Taking things as a whole, he had found that employers did not appear over-anxious to take apprentices for which there existed no doubt good reasons. The modern boy was probably not so amenable to discipline as in former days, and much greater freedom was demanded. Many boys also object to a five years contract at comparatively low wages, when they can readily secure employment at much higher wages in

"blind alley 4 ’ occupations. Another reason wa s that the teaching of boys generally became the lot of journeymen, who were naturally disinclined to waste much time over the task. There was also a natural disinclination to teach apprentices, who sooner or later might displace them in their own work.

The Attitude of Parents. Then there was the attitude of the parents, continued Mr Rowley. There were three avenues open for their boys—to put them to a skilled trade in a primary or secondary industry, to find them some commercial or professional occupation (in which the Government offered some special inducements), or to fall for the higher wages which are being offered In “blind alley” occupations. The general public, who really stood to suffer more than anybody else, was completely out of touch with this important question, and it was for this reason that he was urging gatherings of this nature to take an interest in the administration of the Act. So far, whatever success has been achieved under the Act. is due to broadmindedness of both the employers and labour. The object should be to get into touch with the boys and by good advice steer them into the employ of primary and secondary industries. It was also necessary, to get into touch with employers and induce them to apply for apprentices. So far this had been rather disappointing, for although a fair number of applications had been received from boys, the response from employers had been very small. In Palmerston North, for instance, two applications had only been received last year from boys, and none from employers. In other places, a large number of applications from boys had to be turned away for the same reason. Proportion of Apprentices, Complaint wa s often made by employers as to the proportion of apprentices allowed being too smali. In actual practice and after making full enquiries, it was found that this complaint was not substantiated by facts. Tho usual proportion allowed under the Act was one apprentice to two, or sometimes three journeymen, except in the engineering trade, where, owing to special circumstances, two apprentices were allowed to one journeyman. The number of apprentices in Palmerston ‘North, said Mr. Rowley, was 230, although 376 additional boys could be taken on under the Act.

The following are a number of trades of which Mr. Rowley gave the actual number of apprentices employed in the Palmerston North district, as well as the extra numbers permitted under the Act (the latter are given in parenthesis:—

Bakers and Pastrycooks 12 (24) Bricklayers 4 (4) Carpenters 25 (50) Cabinetmakers 17 (2) Electrical workers .... 29 (34) Engineering trades ... 20 (90) In conclusion ,the speaker explained the formation of apprenticeship committees as provided for by the Act, and the useful and important work these committees could do. An ■apprenticeship committee had the power to cancel a contract of apprenticeship if it felt that the boy was not suited for any particular occupation. In the same way it could cancel a contract whore it was satisfied that the employer was at fault, •and whore the boy was not receiving proper teaching and training. It could also prohibit any employer from taking on an apprentice, alter

the rate of wages, inspect premises, order attendance at Technical schools etc. On the motion of the Club President, Rotarian B. J. Jacobs, the speaker was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.