11

H.—ll

APPRENTICES. This question has been dealt with, during the year by a conference of representatives of employers and workers throughout the Dominion, and of the Departments of Education and Labour, with the result that a Bill was passed which came into force on the Ist April. The reports in connection therewith have already been published, entitled "Apprenticeship Question (N.Z.), 1923." The main features of the Act are those providing machinery by which an Apprenticeship Committee in each trade or branch of the trade in each centre may be set up. The duty of this committee will be to watch the progress of the apprentices in that trade and locality, and to see that they diligently learn and are properly taught. It is considered that these committees will in practice become the " backbone " of the Act, as they may be given full power in their respective trades and localities to administer the. Act for themselves, with the Court of Arbitration (under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act), however, as the general controlling authority and Court of appeal. The success of the Act will no doubt largely depend upon the appointment of suitable men who will look to the ultimate interests of their trades, and to the public welfare generally. As a means of remedying the shortage of skilled labour where it may be found to exist, the Court of Arbitration is empowered to order the employment of a minimum number of apprentices where it is satisfied that it is necessary so to do in order to provide an adequate supply of journeymen for the future. The following table is of interest in this connection as showing the trades in, which considerably more apprentices could be employed without exceeding the maximum proportion fixed in the respective awards and industrial agreements. \n Queensland the Court of Arbitration has, under similar powers to those in the New Zealand Act, fixed the proportion of apprentices in the building trade at. a maximum of one to two journeymen, and a minimum of one to live. This minimum proportion is a somewhat low one, as at most it would, assuming the apprenticeship period to be four years, provide for the replacement of each journeyman only once in every twenty years, which period would be considerably extended if allowance is made for the number of boys who usually drift away from the occupations taken up. The information respecting New Zealand is being submitted to the (Jourt of Arbitration and to the Apprenticeship Committees (where these have been formed), so that they may consider whether the number should be increased by an order under section 5 (4) (a).

Return showing the Number of Journeymen and Apprentices employed in the Skilled Trades, together with the Additional Number of Apprentices allowable without exceeding the Maximum fixed in the respective Awards and Industrial Agreements.

Trade. h Number ol Journeymen and Working Number of Employers for Apprentices whom employed. Apprentices are allowable. Equivalent to One in Number stated below. Maximum Proportion fixed by Award or Agreement.* Additional Number of Apprentices allowed. Baking and pastrycooking BoilermaHng Bootmaking Boot-re pairing Bricklaying Carpentering and joinery Cabinetmaking and furniture - making Coopering Coach building Cycle-working Electrical working Engineering Gardening Horse-shoeing.. Jewellery and watchmaking Letterpress, lithographing, bookbinding Masonry (stone and monumental) Motor mechanics Moulding Painting Plastering Plumbing and gasfitting Saddlery Ship, yacht, and boat building .. Tailoring Tinsmithing Typographical Wickerworking 1,137 201 195 69 I,066 218 675 86 302 70 3,993 882 1,635 631 5-6 2-8 l •;; 7-8 4-3 4-5 2-6 3 to 5 1 to 2 I to 3 J to 3 1 to 3 1 to 3 1 to 2 463 50 185 292 72 746 237 133 5 664 256 231 118 691 506 2,036 925 210 29 446 72 366 123 1,286 473 26-6 2-6 1-9 1-4 2-2 7-2 6-1 2-9 2-7 1 to 3 I to 2 I In I 1 to 1. 2 to I I Io 3 1 to each fire 1 to 3 2 to 3 47 146 209 180 2,847 64 143 77 224 208 34 1,198 ■ 659 458 157 802 149 356 98 1,035 468 379 67 142 36 1,019 81 444 158 805 228 174 72 6-1 1-8 2-9 5-4 3-6 2-2 5-6 3-9 12-5 2-8 3-5 24 J to 3 I to I 1 to 2 I to 3 I to 3 I to 2 I to 3 1 to 3 J to 4 I to 2 1 to 3 1 to 2 43 540 102 199 88 190 187 27 330 97 216 21 Totals 22,086 6,901 3-2 8,022 * In localities where no maximu n proportion is fixed the usual proportion is taken for the i: udustry.