MASTER AND APPRENTICE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2320, 18 August 1898, Page 19

MASTER AND APPRENTICE.

WELLINGTON. August 11. There was some severe criticism of tbe Master and Apprentice Bill by the delegates to the Master Builders' 'Conference. "There is not the slightest doubt," said one gentleman, " that it will slop a great many Jads from learning our trade." Said another: "It is a disgrace to the unions that they are placing every obstacle in the ,way of learning" trades." With this Mr Greig (Canterbury) concurred, remarking, •" One of the most serious questions of the my is what shall we do with our boys? 'And yet some people are placing every obstacle in the way of settling the difficulty." #i Aad, it is the parents who ar® doing it,"

said the chairman. Mr England thought that if the bill \rns insisted on builders would have to be paid a premium before taking any apprentices on at all, and Mr Holland remarked that it would end in only well-to-do persons being able to put their boys to trades, for already there were many builders accepting premiums in taking on apprentices. "The general opinion was undoubtedly against the bill. The wages paid to apprentices to the building trade in Auckland are 10s a week the first year, 12s 6d the second, 15s the third, and £1 the fourth and last. Five years is the time now agreed upon in Christchurch as the time for learning this trade, with the woges increasing from ss, 7s 6d, 10s, 15s, to 20s. In Dunedin the same rate prevails as in Christchurch, while in Wellington the apprentices on an average start at 5s and rise to 10s in the second year, 15s the third, 20s the fourth, and 25s the fifth. But here they vary to a giot extent, some starling at 2s 6d.