LAGGING BEHIND.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20650, 26 June 1935, Page 10

LAGGING BEHIND.

New Zealand’s Care For Unemployed Youths. REMEDIAL MEASURES. A number of remedies to meet the case of unemployed youths in New Zealand are suggested in a comprehensive report from a committee set up by the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association. The report will be presented and considered at a meeting of the association to-night. The committee recommends that the school leaving age should be, sixteen years, amendments to the apprenticeship laws, special educational features such as vocational training centres and other provisions.

“ Of the many social and economic problems which we are attempting to solve at the present time,” states the report, “ that of our unemployed youth is probably the most serious, and certainly the most tragic, viewed from any angle. It must be realised that since the Parliamentary Commission presented its report, the position has become steadily worse, until we have now’ reached a point where it must be dealt with on a properly organised basis. So great is this evil that the term ‘ the lost generation ’ has been applied to these young unfortunates. “ Two aspects of the position have to be considered, the general and the particular, as they apply to manufacturers. No matter how willing manufacturers are to place more young people into positions, it must be realised at the outset that manufacturers themselves are being pressed closely on all sides by the adverse conditions £if the present time. “ The problem is one which can be solved or ameliorated only by a national effort. The suggestions we make are only for a partial solution. The real solution probably lies in the realms of a complete national scheme of employment organisation, of a shorter working week, and of an improvement in our financial systems.”

Part IV of the London Naval Treaty reads as follows:

“ The following are accepted as the established rules of international law: ‘‘(1) In their action with regard to merchant ships, submarines must conform to the rules of international law to which surface vessels are subject. (2) In particular, except in the case of persistent refusal to stop on being duly summoned, or of active resistance to a visit or a search, a warship, whether a surface vessel or a submarine, may not sink or render incapable of navigation a merchant vessel without having first placed the passengers, crew and ship’s papers in a place of safety. For this purpose the ship’s boats are not regarded as a place of safety, unless the safety of the passengers and crew is assured in the existing sea and weather conditions by the proximity of land or the presence of another vessel which is in a position to take them on board.

“ The high contracting parties invite all the other Powers to express their assent to the above rules.”

Replying to further questions, the First Lord said that Part IV of the London Treaty was signed by Great Britain, the .United States, Japan, France and Italy, but the only Powers judicially bound by it were Great Britain, the United States and Japan, because France and Italy did not ratify it. It was true that Germany, as well as Britain, favoured the abolition of submarines, but unfortunately at present other countries were not agreed upon it. Apprenticeship Laws. The various apprenticeship laws must be considered. There are many industries in New Zealand in which such conditions are an effective bar against the employment of a considerable number of youths. Over the depression years the apprenticeship contracts have proved themselves costly and onerous to such an extent that many employers have been chary of entering into any more than they can help. It must be realised that in periods of diminishing trade and unstable conditions of industry, the placing of the responsibility on employers to pay youths, whilst maintaining them in a condition of idleness is neither reasonable nor fair.

“ Mechanisation has enabled many industries to reduce the time necessary to learn a trade. Therefore, it is time that apprenticeship laws in each trade should be remodelled, with the idea of reducing the period of apprenticeship where necessary, and further, some opportunity should be given to manufac- 1 turers to modify the terms of the contract at a time of trading difficulties. “ It is, however, stressed that in any modification of these laws great care should be exercised. No employer should be given the opportunity of replacing adult workers by younger men. Blind Alley Positions. “ The ages of 14 to 16 are the ones which give the least reason for worry as apparently boys in this group find it a relatively easy matter to gain employment. In many cases, however, the positions they find are blind alley ones, the figure being estimated in the Geneva Report at 70 per cent. From the age of 18 upwards the real problem arises as a youth finds it very difficult indeed to gain employment at this period of his life. “ The group ages 19 to 25 is the one which presents the most serious difficulties. A number of occupations in which boys first find themselves cannot by their very nature be continued beyond the age of 18. At this period it is very difficult for a young man to become apprenticed to a trade or to find other work of a permanent nature showing a wage return commensurate with his years. “ Future groups of the ages 19 to 25 will automatically adjust themselves. The present group, however, needs immediate assistance. Particularly from amongst the younger men there should be chosen a substantial number with aptitude for certain industries who should be taken in hand and given a preliminary training suitable to these industries. They should then be apprenticed to firms in those industries under a special subsidised apprenticeship scheme of limited duration. The balance, consisting of other young men suitable for work other than labouring, should be encouraged to attend vocational schools. “ Allied with this suggestion is the further one that young men at present in non-permanent positions should also be given some subsidiary vocational training to prevent them from joining the ranks of the unskilled unemployed at a later date. In certain industries payment is made according to age, which is another factor operating against the employment of youths of

18 and upwards seeking positions. Educational System. “It is considered that there is something lacking in our educational sy rstem. In one industry each applicant for a position is put through a series of tests in order to gauge his suitability for the trade. The youths selected have proved the advantage of this system, over a period of years. If this can be done by an individual firm then there is no reason why the same system could not be extended in order to discover the youth’s aptitude and to prevent him from entering into employment unsuitable to his capacities. “It was the general opinion of the committee that the comptilsorv school leaving age should be 16 years. On leaving primary' school every child 'should be given either secondary or technical education of a more comprehensive nature than at present. A number of industries in New Zealand are not catered for at all by the technical schools, nor are facilities available in many' trades for elementary' knowledge to be obtained before entering into the factory. Educational centres should be established where suitable boys could be trained for a very much larger number of trades than at present. It was also considered that where the position of the parents was such that financial assistance was necessary', a small payment should be made to a trainee at such a centre. “ One of our committee men, Mr G. Lawn, of Canterbury University College, enabled the committee to make use of the ‘ Report on Unemployment Among Young Persons * recently' published by r the Geneva National Labour Office. Careful reading of the complete report shows that we in New Zealand are lagging behind many other countries in our dealing with the youth problem. The Recommendations.

“ The only' difference which we have to make with the report as far as New Zealand is concerned is that the school leaving age should be 16 instead of 15. We especially recommend the following matters: (1) That the problem should be treated as a national one by' an organisation especially equipped for such purposes.

(2) That there should be close cooperation between educational and placing authorities. In England juvenile exchanges are actively engaged in finding positions for boys. (3) Education should include a general training for manual work and special training for selected youths. (4) Unemployed juveniles should be under some special supervision after leaving school between the ages of 16 and 25. There should be vocational training centres for unemployed youths where full facilities should be obtainable for a complete preliminary' training for any trade suitable to the trainee’s capabilities. (5) The organisation should take care of young workers as well as unemployed youths particularly' in those industries where changes are frequently’ made. (6) Representatives of manufacturing organisations should be invited to give their experience and knowledge on the supervisory councils. (7) Necessary care should be taken to avoid placing youths in occupations which have no future prospects. “ (8) In periods of severe unemployment the system of sharing out normal work in rotation, should be applied to youth workers. “ (9) Apprenticeship conditions should be modified to suit present requirements.”