THE APPRENTICES’ ACT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19135, 1 April 1924, Page 9

THE APPRENTICES’ ACT.

STATEMENT BY MINISTER! OF LABOUR. OBJECTS EXPLAINED. AN IMPORTANT MEASURE. - A representative of the Otago Daily Times saw the Minister of Labour on his recent visit to Roxburgh, avd asked tor a statement in regard to '.he Apprentices' Act. which comes into force to-day, ... The Minister stated ’.hat the object of tbo Act was to, if possible, increase tho ,number of apprentices in those tirades which at times found it almost impossible

to keep up ‘the supply of skilled tradesmen. A further object of the Act was - to remove the young people of both sexes from the unskilled occupations and prevent them as far as it was practicable from taking up occupations which would lead to a dead end, that is to say, that when it was time for j them to marry and settle down os citizen. ■ of the country they found tho occupation that they had followed in their young days would not provide them with sufficient continuous work to maintain a homo. He noticed that criticisms of the Act had been made by those who apparently desired that complete freedom of engage- . ment of apprentices anc employees geaerally should be instituted as. was the case a generation ago. lie would remind those \ critics that the conditions of society were now completely altered and that a reversion to the old state of affairs was quite out of the region of practicable politics. • It behoved everyone, whether it be employer or employed, to do hig utmost to

give the now Act a fair trial.’ . .. In many portions Of tiie British Empire,. as well as in various foreign countries, experiments were now lieing made to irn- | prove the condition of apprentices! In f England, Now South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Africa, Canada, and portions of the, United States, attempts were being made to adapt the apprenticeship question to the ordinary present conditions of trade and industry. In the old days apprentices were taught their trade from its foundations. Nowadays that was not practicable _ owing to the employment of machinery in many industries. The New Zealand Act had teen passed unanimously by a conference representing''em- | pjoyers and employed and the -Education Department. A large amount of study had been given to the matter, and what was considered a practical scheme was earlbodied in the Act. . When boys and. girls loft tho schools the Labour Department was notified, and a record kept of', tfcte names of those willing to enter into trades, and their wishes given effect to as far as that was practicable. Tney. wore advised as to the trades in which there was most V'„ likelihood of continuous employment, .and their capabilities were taken into ac'count m this regard. ‘ The Court of Arbitration was set up Sa a Board of Control of Apprenticeship. ’Tile court would lay down regulations as “ttr the terms of apprenticeship, wages, etc. •'•’•lt would be guided very largely in coming'-to , its decision by the advice of committees which were provided for under the Act. f.. . \ These committees would be composed’,ol ,1 an equal number of employers and i: em i . * ployed in each district a.nd in each- trade. It was hoped that the committees wouldadvise the court as to local conditions and, the requirements of tho various districts and trades, and the number of apprentices: required. It was also hoped that these committees -would take a keen interest, in the question of apprenticeship generally and also in the individual welfare of .eadh apprentice. The Act gave the court .wide - powers, which must be enforced with,.. ; d,we tact and consideration in every case. -The court could delegate these powers to .the committees, and tho committees would carry them. out. It-would thus be seen that the success of failure of the Act depended upon the committees mote, than on anything else. The Minister expressed ; a . strong desire that these committees should be set up; and that immediately, so that tho court would have the benefit of the advice of representatives of Ail® * ■ various committees in each suitable centre. He asked tho employers and employed to set up these committees as part of their individual civic duty. Their services would not be paid for because it was considered that this being a social question it was the duly of every good citizen to endeavour J to make the rising generation worthy sue- | cessors and provide efficient tradesmen to I carry on the work of the dominion.V asked the help of the members of the com- f, mittee and toe trading industry generally ■/’ to assist him in this great work - . It might be that some would regard the Act as deficient from their point of view, but he impressed upon them thal the question was one of such vital importance that a commencement had to be made, 1 and the gentlemen who drew up the provisions of the; Act were students of one' question and had given of their best. If experience ‘ showed that the Act required amending then it would be amended, but he asked all interested to give it every assistance, not to pick holes in it„ but to endeavour to launch it so that the object it had in view might be obtained. It was the intention of the Labour Department, and, ho felt sure, of the court | and the committees, to administer the Act tactfully as well as efficiently. Provision was made in clause 21 for 1 setting up trade schools where the majority ot employers who employed a majority of the workers in that industry desired to provide a workshop for i;hat trade. This was done in order mat an experiment which was being tried at the present time in New South Wales might have a r fair chance in this country. He understood . that a school similar to this was in course ‘ of establishment in the building trades in 'Wellington. Provision was also made to enable adults or other persons that might already possess some knowledge of an industry to complete their bade. There are also the necessary provision to ensure that the rights of apprentices on the one hand and the employers on the other are duly protected. Employers who ~,are engaged in intermittent trades are empowered to take apprenb'ces jointly. A. similar provision to this has' been qsjfblished in Australia, and is said to' overcome the hesitation of many employers in taking on apprentices by reason of thoir liability to employ them continuously. . Ihe Act has been well spoken of by leaders in tho industrial movement, both amongst employers and employed.