TO ASSIST BOYS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 714, 18 March 1933, Page 32 (Supplement)

TO ASSIST BOYS.

How Employment Might be Increased. CHRISTCHURCH PROPOSAL. Greater elasticity in the regulations governing the employment of boys in secondary industries was urged at a meeting of the Christchurch Boys’ Employment Committee yesterday, when a proposal for subsidised employment was under discussion. The Commissioner of Unemployment (Mr G. C. Godfrey), to whom the proposal had been submitted by the committee, wrote stating that the Unemployment Board was quite appreciative of the good work which the committee was doing and especially appreciated the suggestion, but felt that it would require more information before any definite undertaking was given. The chairman (Mr M. E. Lyons) said that some time ago the board had asked the Government to revise the Apprentices Act and had emphasised the need for more elasticity in apprenticeship orders. Mr J. L. Hay expressed the opinion that the committee should take advantage of the opportunity of submitting a case for the subsidised employment of boys in secondary industries. That was one of the schemes outlined by the Opportunities Committee which advocated a determined drive among the secondary industries as the most likely field for the employment of boys. It was his opinion that if some subsidy were available a good deal of success could be looked for. Mr H. B. Duckworth said he did not think it would be possible to get very far with a subsidy or'without one. The whole trouble was the restriction on the employment of boys, and if the committee had £2OOO or £3OOO at its disposal it would not be able to place many boys because of those restrictions. It was decided that the representatives of the Manufacturers’ Association Mr Hay and the secretary (Mr G M. Keys) should outline a scheme to the Unemployment Board.