LACK OF SKILLED MEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18533, 18 October 1923, Page 8

LACK OF SKILLED MEN.

WORLD-WIDE, PROBLEM.

QUESTION OF SOCIAL STATUS

[BY TELEGRAPH.OWN CORRESPONDENT T

WELLINGTON. Wednesday.

Speaking on the immigration report presented to the Council of the Chamber of Commerce yesterday, Mr. Andrew Fletcher, Jof the, Fletcher Construction Company, said that, as far as his business was concerned, they were faced with a shortage of skilled labour. There were many applications for work, and they went to meet: every fcteamer, but invariably the men were unskilled labourers. They had the same difficulty in Britain. His company L*xd advertised through the - High Commissioner for the last year, =; but it was found impossible to get : plasterers and bricklayers, as there was a shortage in England. America was so close that if thera were any »possibility of them leaving home, they would more naturally; go there than come here. \ , ;

There is a great gap between tradesmen and many others in the community, and we will have to find a solution, apart from immigration," said ; Mr. , Fletoher. There is a, marked, difference in social status between, say, the '.soft goods man and the carpenter and plasterer. .That is not typical in this country. : It is the same all over the world. Only one '.! secnon of the building class ■• was accepted the architects, the white collar brigade. Appreciation of the! skilled tradesman socially was totally inadequate, and until his status in ' the community was raised it was hopeless to expect young fellows to take up the trades.