UNEMPLOYMENT OF BOYS

Taranaki Daily News, 6 August 1932, Page 6

UNEMPLOYMENT OF BOYS

ACTION AT NEW. PLYMOUTH CONFERENCE WITH THE MEMBER DECISION TO CALL BIG MEETING. The decision to request the Mayor to call a public meeting at New Plymouth of those sections of the community particularly interested in ti. problem of unemployment among boys was reached at a conference yesterday between Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P., and representatives of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce, the North Taranaki Farmers’ Union and the Rotary Club. At the same time it was decided, that Mr. Smith should meet the apprenticeship committee at New Plymouth to hear its views on. the Apprenticeship Act. Among those who are to. be invited to send representatives to the meeting are the New Plymouth Borough Council. the Taranaki County Council, the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club, the North Taranaki branch of the. Farmers’ Union, the North Taranaki Unemployment Relief Committee, the Employers’ Federation, the Workers’ Council, the Education Board, the High Schools’ Board, the New Plymouth Unemployed Boys’ Committee, the Old Boys’ Association, the Ministers’ Association and the Salvation Army. The principals of high school-and technical education are to be asked to attend. ; . . ■ .

At the meeting it is proposed to set up a small central committee. Subcommittees will be formed to deal with special branches of the problem and report .to the central committee. There were present at the conference with Mr. Smith yesterday the Mayor, Mr. H. V. S. Griffiths, Hr. A. F. Sandford, president of the Chamber of Commerce, Mr. D. Morgan, secretary of the , Farmers’ Union, and Mr- V. Duff (secretary). “ Mr. Sandford said the number of apprentices employed'in tho last two or three years had been gradually decreas- ; ing. . . 'v Rather than have -any haphazard treatment of the problem through lack of joint action, said Mr. Smith, it would be better for the Mayor to call together representatives of the various sections of the community interested, in the problem. GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE!

Tho question had . been asked," what assistance could .ithe Government give! The Government could give no assistance, yet. The Minister of Employment had said that under no consideration were he and. his colleague to "commit ths Government to any. expenditure. When they had taken evidence on tb» problem at Auckland the authorities there had asked for a grant of £5OOO from the Government to handle the problem. They had been able to give, no authority for it as their duty was merely to collect evidence and make recommendations to the Government.

Auckland had then gone to work under its own initiative. The A.M;P. Society had donated £250, Bishop Averill £5O, Bishop Liston £5O and so on, and already . Auckland had raised a large sum of money. In the same.way Christchurch had found itself in-need of funds for the worl;. It was thought that the citizens might not be, able to afford contributions, "but the Y.M.C.A. had. taken the work in hand and had raised £BOO in a ' street “collection, ; £2fto more than in its' collection of the previous year. ' . ../ ■'■ Some of the smaller centres were developing schemes of their own. Timaru had given boys work on a section .growing potatoes. The.crop had been sold and netted £5O, which was used as the basis of a fund to pay the boys for their work. The boys were kept independent and given an incentive to work.

. Mr. Sandford said his idea, .was that the boys should .find ./their natural avenues of employment. '■ If the Apprenticeship Act were straightened up he \ thought that employers would respond to an appeal to place boys. ■ Before the commission could make any’ recommendation in regard to the Factories Act, the Shops and Offices Act and ,the Apprentices Act, said Mr,’. Smithy it had to. have concrete evi.denep before It that the law required alteration/ It was no light thing to recommend the alteration of a law care-., fully drafted for the mutual benefit of both Employer and. employee. . The commission had met the apprenticeship committees in other .centres and asked both sides, to state their -cases; They now had the, responsibility of sifting the", evidence and making recommendations. He suggested" that arrangements, should be made for him to meet the apprenticeship committee at New Plymouth. - . '• ' The conference decided- to-call the public meeting on Tuesday week, when. Mr. Smith hopes to be at New Plymouth again. ... , c