MOTOR TRADE

Southland Times, Issue 22106, 29 August 1933, Page 6

MOTOR TRADE

EFFICIENCY TEST EXAMINATIONS OF APPRENTICES VIEWS OF MINISTER (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, August 28. Mr R. McKeen, M.P., who introduced a recent deputation to the Minister of Labour (the Hon. Adam Hamilton) from the Motor Trade Union protesting against the conditions under which the examinations for motor mechanics are conducted by the Motor Trade Association has received the following letter from the Minister of Justice (the Hon. J. G. Cobbe): “My colleague the Hon. Minister of Labour has passed on to me the representations made by a deputation from the Motor Trade Union on July 27. I have had careful inquiries made into the subject mattex - discussed with particular reference to the suggestion that the Motor Trade Association had committed a false pretence in accepting examination and certificate fees from the members of the union introduced find that your conclusions have been drawn somewhat prematurely and that the Motor Trade Association is even now organizing a scheme for an improvement of the standard of the trade. This should be for the mutual benefit of the motor vehicle owners, garage proprietors and those employed in the garages. Briefly the idea is to induce motor mechanics to qualify to pass an efficiency test. “Garages employing a certain quota of duly qualified men and those whose shop equipment is up to a certain standard will be certificated. Motor Unions will be advised as to the garages that are certificated, and it is contemplated that their guaranteed efficiency will command a preference of support. Competition will ultimately require all garages to employ certificated men and thereby bring about a general raising of the quality of the work done and incidentally justify a higher standard of charges which will in turn enable a higher wage scale to be paid. “I have had the papers and blank certificates relating to the whole plan of the scheme submitted to me and I think the idea is a commendable one, but it is still in the embryonic stage and it is too early yet to pass judgment upon its manner of working out in practice.”