EXPLOITATION ALLEGED

Taranaki Daily News, 22 June 1935, Page 9

EXPLOITATION ALLEGED

EMPLOYMENT OF BOYS CHRISTCHURCH INQUIRIES MADE. BAD EMPLOYERS IN MINORITY. DEVELOPING PUBLIC CONSCIENCE. By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. ' Serious allegation of the exploitation, by some business firms in the city, of boys, who had been placed in, employment through the activities of the Christchurch boys’ employment committee, was made at a meeting of the committee a month ago. It was-then decided to investigate the complaints. in detail and at a meeting of the .committee to-day a special report of the sub-committee was received. The.main allegation, was that boys.who had been engaged three and four years ago had been discharged because it would otherwise have been necessary to increase their wages. The sub-commit-tee reported' that, beyond creating a public conscience- in the matter, very little could be done, as \ employers in many cases reported that boys were dis-; charged because they were unsuitable to be given further responsibility at increased wages.' ' ;•<' The vast majority of employers were keenly aware of their responsibility for. members of their staff who*.-had; been with them for some years and teere' mak-; ing sacrifices, to keep them on. There was a small minority with-no ■ conscience in the matter. On the other hand some boys had left employment after positions had been found for. them, the report added. “An even more serious matter, involving a question of business ethics, is that it was revealed that one boy had been dismissed by a firm because he had refused to falsify time-sheets. This case vzas investigated and the boy’s report was found to be true.” . - The report was adopted after a discussion in committee.