ADDITIONAL APPRENTICES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20969, 4 September 1931, Page 10

ADDITIONAL APPRENTICES.

QUESTION OF TRAINING. UNION'S APPEAL DISMISSED. [BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.'] WELLINGTON, Thursday. The Arbitration Court heard an appeal to-day by the Electrical' Trade Workers' Union against the decision of the Wellington Electrical Trades' Apprenticeship Committee in allowing the City Council to take on four additional apprentices. The ground of the objection was that the training was? not adequate. It was urged that, if they were taken on, the council should provide further facilities for enabling apprentices to become fully qualified journeymen. It was felt by the union that the number of failures showed that there must be something wrong with the training. During a discussion it was stated that the percentage of passes in practical work in the Dominion was high, but many failed on the theory side. The employers should not be blamed for theory failures. Parents must take a share of the blame. Possibly attendance at picture shows had much to do with it. Mr. Justice Frazer said the onus of proof that the committee's decision was wrong rested on the appellant. There had been no proof that the apprentices of the City Council electrical department were not given similar training to that given by outside employers. Although the percentage of passes" was low, the council had a higher percentage than the Dominion average. Th« low percentage might be due to a number of causes. The appeal was dismissed.