THE EMPLOYMENT OF BOYS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 8700, 20 December 1899, Page 4

THE EMPLOYMENT OF BOYS.

. A littls light was let into the objections of tradeß unions to the employment of boys aa apprentices in trades, and the reasons for their attempts to limit the number of , apprentices, by a diaoussion ac the Arbitration Court on the sth inst. (says the - Press) between a witness and the emE foyers' representative on the bench, Mr ;' Brown, 'ihe witness, an intelligent journey man, had laid stress on the fact that the union did not want boys em- •, ployed. " You don't want boya taught the trade because it will throw so many men out o work I" pertinently inquired Mr Brown. ... « Assuming," he continued, " that boys are'-pfoperly taught, have you any objec- , tion to any boy learning plumbing ?" Witness .' " I should say, certainly, yes. ■] I. have .a great objection." .■ - Mr Brown': " Will you kindly give it to ". met" Witness: "It will do the trade harm." ■ "Then you wish us to limit the boys so that your particular trade shall not suffer : by a surplus of labor ?" " Yes, certainly." "And other trades all take up the same stand, such as bakers, tailors', tinsmiths, bootmakers,' engineers, dressmakers, &c. ?" Witness: "Just so." " Well, if you take the number of boys in the colony (some 11,500), who must . . learn some trade, or else obtain their living aa laborers, what do you think is to < become of them if you close up the ohannels of employment?" "Witness : " I don't know. That is a question beyond me." " You only wish to shut them out of your trade ?" ' "I think it is a bad thing to swamp a trade by flooding it with boys." " Do you think it is right to say to any boy or girl in New Zealand, you have no right to learn a trade?" The President: "lhat is a question of policy." Mr Brown : "Itis a matter of fact." The President : "It is more a matter -for a nun's conscience to determine for him." Mr Brown : " I do not know that there is much conscience about it. (To the wit neas) : Well, I take that answer, as far as your trade is concerned, you do not wain any boys, even if properly taught ?" ■ Witness : "As far as any trade is concerned." The President: " I think that is right, inasmuch as if there are too many men in a trade the men's time will bo wasted ; but it is a question whether it is not a mitter of economics that will rightitself in time," Mr Brown : " I say that it is entirely wrong that anyone should be debarred from learning any trade." Tho President : " When every lawyer's clerk had to secure artioles it was better for the profession. At the same time the quesion ia not one for witnesses to deal with." The matter was then dropped.