THE LOST GENERATION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22775, 8 July 1937, Page 10

THE LOST GENERATION

While citizens will wish the acting-Minister of Labour the utmost success with his campaign to find jobs for the thousands of youths out of work, they cannot help reflecting that the Government's restrictive legislation created the plight of these lads and that ontv bv Government

action can a way be opened out ot" the dead-end to which at present they are condemned. Mr. Webb's appeal may do some good, because everyone would wish to help, but it

is not likely to reduce materially the number affected, stated at between 5000 and 6000 aged between IS and '2l years. More thoroughgoing action is required. To obtain the employers' co-operation, Mr. Webb must first make it possible for them to co-operate. Amendments of the industrial laws are required to enable the youths to get the footing in 4 trade or industry that they missed during the depression. Obviously the provisions for employing adult apprentices or under-rate workers do not meet the case. Something of wider application is required, such as an exemption of youths, while learning, from the basic wage and other statute laws and awards. There should be no great difficulty in applying the exemption strictly, because those it is intended to help fall into a well-

defined age-group. If the Government hesitates to take such positive action, it will be responsible for the sentence of permanent idleness passed on a large class of deserving youths. Xo appeals to employers or unions can cloak its primary responsibility. It is also responsible for the fact that many boys are now leaving secondary schools two or three years earlier than they would have done but for the industrial laws. Instead of appealing to.others to do something, the Government should itself take action to end these ills of its own making.