TEACHING OF TRADES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17030, 2 May 1923, Page 7

TEACHING OF TRADES.

CONFERENCE DISCUSSES CONDITIONS. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, May 2. A conference of the representatives of employers’ arid workers’ organisations was opened by the Minister of Labour, the Hon G. J. Anderson, this morning, to consider proposals to be drafted in vie v of improving conditions regarding apprenticeship. The Minister Aaid that he regarded the conference as being one of the most important held in New Zealand, for if it was successful in overcoming -he difficulties of teaching young people trades, it would be easier to achieve i greater prosperity for the Dominion in the future. Since the slump, unemployment had begun to increase, and it was found that a large proportion of the sufferers were those engaged in blind-alley occupations. Unemployment had been overcome to a large extent. and to-day there were not many more on the Labour Department’s books than there were a year ago. He wanted a full and frank discussion on tin proposals drafted. After the Bill was prepared, any matters considered vital would br the subject of evidence before ‘■he Labour Bills Committee. He proposed to circulate the ■ esult of the deliberations of the conference to unions, workers, and employers, and to the general public. It seemed to him that apprenticeship in the future would have to be on a different basis than in the past, and he tliought . that technical schools and even primary schools could work in auch a way that boys and girls could be selected for trades when it was considered that they were unfitted for professional occupations. Ho thought that it was the duty of schools to advise parents. The conference is discussing the question in private, the Minister stating that repo*”:s of the proceeding? will be supplied later.