“A DYING TRADE”

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10965, 29 July 1921, Page 3

“A DYING TRADE”

DEARTH OF APPRENTICES SERIOUS OUTLOOK FOR WATCHMAKERS AND JEWELLERS. UNION TO CO-OPERATE. The opportunity was taken by one of the assessors for the employers in the watchmaking and jewellery trade conciliation dispute proceedings yesterday to introduce the proposal for the technical training of appreptioes. The question of the serious “shortage 'of apprentices in the jewellery trade has foi some time given the Board of Governors of the Wellington Technical College some food for consideration, and the Watchmakers and- Jewellers’ Association recently advanced some very practical suggestions, with a view to commencing a class of training.. It was in order to ascertain the attitude of the union towards the establishment of a class that Mr L. R. Partridge, as a member of the board, introduced the subject during a discussion upon the apprentices’ clause.^ LABOUR’S CO-OPERATION. He - pointed out that the Technical School Board was considering the set-; ting up of a watchmaking class. The employers in the trade desired the cooperation of Labour in the proposed move. The question of ways and means had yet to be gone into, and it was proposed that a conference should be called between representatives of the employers, the employees, the Technical School Board, and of the Government, so that an understanding might be come to. The shortage of watchmakers was generally admitted all over the world Dy both employers and employees. As far as he knew, there was not a single watchmaking apprentice in Wellington. He pointed out that unless some opportunity was I given for learning the trade it would be threatened with extinction. At present there were so few capable watch- , makers that it took a long time to have a watch or clock repaired. UNION TO 00-OPERATE. • Mr F. Cornwell, secretary of the union, who was one of the union assessors, said that the trades unions were particularly anxious to co-operate with the employers, provided that they trad representation in the controlling of the schemd. All the skilled trades were in favour of technical instruction of apprentices. It would bo a good * thing if the training _ could be conducted under the industrial awards. If a conference was held the union would be only too willing to co-oper-ate. * TO WORK NIGHT AND DAY. Mr Pascoe, who was present by appointment to discuss the matter with the parties to the dispute on behalf of the College Board of Governors, said that as he was a parents’ representative on the board, he had a double interest in the discussion. The question of a lucrative opening for the sons of those who. had elected him was worthy of all the support he could give. Reference had been made to the fact that ten or fifteen yeans ago the employers did not desire to take apprentices when opportunity arose. Today the practical watchmakers were working on piecework, and had to work night and day to cope with the demand. The board was not concerned with the “dispute” between master and man. Its object in placing its views before the Commissioner was to have, if necessary,* a clause inserted in the new award, providing for boys to receive a period of instruction for, say, two years: in a technical college, under a skilled mechanic. It was also suggested that the time thus served should be allowed to he counted as, say, three years of his eix years’ apprenticeship indenture. It was their bounden duty, wherever possible, to direct the paths of their boys so as to enable them to learn a trade. The drifting of youths into- blind alley occupations simply through the love of the extr a money which could be temporarily earned only served,"in the course of time, to swell the ranks of unskilled labour. PARTIES TO CONFER. A conference will shortly take place between the employers, the employees, and the Board of Governors of the college, when an attempt. wjjl,_be mada-to arrive at a definite scheme .which .maybe brought under the notice of the Government.