WORK FOR BOYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20419, 22 November 1929, Page 15

WORK FOR BOYS.

THE "BLIND ALLEY" DANGER.

NEW TRADES A SOLUTION.

MR. JUSTICE FRAZER'S VIEWS.

[by telegraph.—own correspondent.] CHIUSTCHUBCH, Thursday. "Wo do not want boys in blind alley employments. The trouble to-day is to absorb tho boys and girls, and if we can find new trades it will be all to the better." This viow was expressed by Mr. Justice Frazor in the Arbitration Court to-day in a discussion on the general question of limiting the number of boys to bo employed in trades. "We do not want to make too much of a cry about cheap labour," added His Honor. "If it had not been taken advantage of some time ago we would at tho present day find New Zealand without many of its industries and we would not tie where we aro."

During argument concerning a case which was being heard, Mr. W. Cecil Prime said the work that was being do-ie in this instance was done by girls in Australia and England.

His Honor said he was aware of fha fact that in Australia girls were doing a great deal of work that men were doing hero and they were getting wnli paid. However, it was not advisable to make too much of a song about cheap labour. "We have got to find girls and boys work," said His Honor. "We do not want to put them in blind alley positions. We have got to be reasonable and find legitimate openings for them. Boy labour is a great problem and nobody wants to put men out and fill their positions with boys or cheap labour. If we could build up some semi-skilled trades they would be to my mind just the thing to absorb boys and also girls. That is about the only way I can see out of it. It would also keep the money in tho country instead of sending it to Australia or America." "Cannot we go further and say that the restriction of boys in trades will limit the number that can be absorbed, and will force them into the ranks of unskilled workers," asked Mr. Prime. "If the number of apprentices to be taken on is limited, and no provision made for unskilled and boy labour, the cost of tho industry will bo increased."