EMPLOYERS' FEDERATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14685, 19 November 1909, Page 2

EMPLOYERS' FEDERATION

QUESTION OF APPRENTICES. tl'iß United Association.) WELLINGTON, November 18. At the Employers' Conference to-day Mr W. 11. Bennett (Wellington) read a short paper on the subject of "Apprentices and the Laws Atiecting Their Employment." lie considered that an "agremeiit" was better than an "indenture " in the employment of apprentices. Mr W. S. La 'liobe, director of the Wellington Technical School, addressed the conference on the subject. He considered tho question one oi the most important before the people of the Dominion. Education should make a boy an efficient workman and an elficient member of society. Half education was a. positive danger to the State. The primary school system, so far as it went, did good work, but stopped at the most critical Time in a boy's life. Fully 60 per cent, of the boys were not taking 'advantage of the facilities for higher education. Between the ages of 14 and 16 a boy must begin to earn something towards the livelihood of his people. Something must be done therefore to add to the primary education of the boy in order to make a man of him. How to continue education without interfering with the industrial development of the nation was. the pioblem. in other countries there was a system of compulsory higher education, and' some such system would probably have to be introduced into New Zealand. The development of the. individual for industrial purposes was the main question of the future. There was an inevitable tendency to pay a worker for brains and energy, not for 'brute force. " You pay half a .pound a week for brute force and the rest for the fact that the worker is a man with brains and energy," taid Mr La Trobe. " New Zealand is a country of .makeshifts at the present time, a country of clashing civilisations. Buildings, education—everything is in a makeshift stage at the present time." Technical teaching, continued Mr I.a Trobe, should bo in advance of present requirements and meet the requirements of future developments. A boy could not receive in the workshops the training he would require 20 years hence. This he must receive in the technical school and university. Both technical school and university were in a makeshift condition. Instead of a central' university, they had a set of evening continuation sxhools, which no doubt were doing very good work, but still they had not the same advantages for training as were found in the institutions of tho Old World. ,Whai they wanted in New Zealand was to get good value for the money spent in technical education. The closer co-ordina-tion of workshop and technical school was desirable. The day training at.present could not overlook general education for citizenship iis well' as preparation for tra.de. Boys should have Uyo years' training before going into a., trade, and such trained'boys should be encouraged in their subsequent apprenticeships. The Wellington' Technical School.'could supply all the apprentices necessary for the different .trades. The question had been solved in America, where the ordinary trado apprentice was paid less and served longer than the boy who had been through a course of technical training. As regarded the motion before the meeting, Mr La Trobe said they already had boards of control in connection with two trades in Wellington—the plumbing and electrical engineering trades. These, boards of control laid clown courses for students, and conducted examinations, The principle might be applied to other trades which concerned the welfare of the public. A systematic training was needed, and to get that there must be a close cooperation between the technical schools and the employers. Annual reports on the progress of students should be forwarded to the boards of control. A yearly determination of the. boy's qualifications was necessary in order to prevent incompetency in trades—the last thing they wanted to encourage. The apprentice who did not take advantage of his opportunities for technical training should lose a year of his apprenticeship, or if he continued to .neglect his chances be dismissed.--(" Hear, near.")

A hearty vote of thanks was moved to Mr La Trobe for his address. ,

Mr T. Ballinger (Wellington) explained the system of the Board of Control in the plumbing trade. He did not believe in the " agreement" system. The boys who had passed at the Technical School got Id an hour extra. The Hon. C. M. Luke said lie did not understand why the lads of New Zealand were being traduced so much. They were equal to any lads in the world.—(" Hear, hear.") There were scores of New Zea-land-trained engineers doing well all over the world. Still, New Zealand must keep pace with other countries' in technical education. As regarded workshops and the " makeshift" argument, he considered that in point of efficiency the best New Zealand workshops were unequalled- in any part of the world. He considered that certificates should be accepted in lieu of indenture--. There should be an obliga, tion on the lad, and on the parents of tho lad, to see that he did his share. It was impracticable to send boys to school during working hours. He was glad to see that Mr La Trobe had not dwelt on this. It was simply impossible, as it would disorganise trade and disorganise the routine of the shop. He was not out of sympathy with the new spirit of the age. The very best education should be given to the lads, not only ui their own interest and the interests of their employers, but in the interests of the Dominion at large. If the industries of the Dominion were to exist they could not bear any further disabilities m the direction of' disorganising the routine of employment. The whole subject was discussed at length. There was a- general opinion in favour of technical education of apprentices.

Mr Chisholm, of Dunedin, -however, did not think it much use in teaching.a boy his trade. The conference passed the following motions: —

That this federation is opposed to. any further compulsory increase oi apprentices' wages. That the technical education of apprentices should be accomplished after working ho ure.

That in the opinion of this federation employers should recognise the great value of technical education, and suggests to affiliated associations the adivisability of doing what they can to foster and assist the schools in their centres.

That it be a recommendation to employers in all centres where technical schools are established flint they secure adequate representation on the technical school boards of control of the various classes they are interested in. and endeavour to secure the issue of monthly reports to employers of the progress and attendance of their apprentices.

That this conference approves of a central board of control, which shall confer with the technical school authorities to arrange a- syllabus of instruction for each group of related trades; to promote and hold regular and uniform examinations of apprentices in all centres where technical schools are established.

That while recognising the advantage of machinery in technical schools, we desire to emphasise the necessity of thorough training hi handwork.