H.—ll

The Act also provides, : — First, Apprenticeship Committee may be formed in any industry or group of industries in any locality by agreement between any organizations of employers and workers ; and the Court is also given power either to appoint a Committee or to alter the constitution of a Committee —for example, where the Committee may not be properly representative (no occasion has yet arisen for the exercise of the Court's power in this respect). The accompanying table shows the industries in which Committees have been set up. Note.—ln each case, except where indicated, an apprenticeship order of the Court of Arbitration has also been made fixing the wages and other general conditions of employment of apprentices.

As above stated, the Act permits of separate Committees being formed in the respective industries in any particular localities, and accordingly all the Committees have been set up for either specified towns or for districts. One hundred and three Committees are in existence under the Act, covering twenty-six industries. These have been agreed upon by the employers and workers concerned. There are only a few unimportant industries in which no Apprenticeship Committee has been set up or orders of the Court made, such as those of coopers, gardeners, horse-shoers, beamsmen, and curriers. Second, the Court is required to make general orders fixing the wages, hours, and other conditions of employment of apprentices, also the periods of apprenticeship, the minimum (not the maximum) age at which an apprenticeship may commence, and the proportion of apprentices to journeymen There are now eighty-one orders of the Court in force, twenty-nine being made during the past year. Most, if not all, of these have been agreed upon by the parties concerned. Regarding the periods of apprenticeship, it was thought at the time the Act came into force that for various reasons, such as the use of machinery and the discouragement felt by boys when faced

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Industries. j Districts where there are Committees. Baking and pastrycooking . . Wellington, Canterbury, Auckland, Taranaki, Wanganui, Dunedin, Southland. Boilermaking .. . . . . Wellington, Wanganui, Palmerston North,* Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin, Auckland, Gisborne, Southland. Bootmaking .. .. . . Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, Otago and Southland, • Taranaki. Bricklaying . . . . . . Auckland, Wanganui, Palmerston North,* North Canterbury. Carpentering and joinery . . Auckland, Taranaki, Gisborne, Wellington, Wanganui, Etawke's Bay, Palmerston North,* Masterton, Nelson, North Canterbury, South Canterbury, Southland, Dunedin. Clothing trade .. .. . . Canterbury. Coachbuilding .. .. Wellington, Canterbury, Auckland, Otago and Southland. Electrical working .. . . Auckland, Wellington, Wanganui, Canterbury, Masterton, Southland. Engineering .. .. . . Wellington, Gisborne, Wanganui, Nelson, Palmerston North, Westland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Auckland, Masterton, Southland. Furniture trades .. . . Auckland, Wellington, Wanganui, Westland, Canterbury, Gisborne, South Canterbury, Southland. Gardening .. .. . . Canterbury. Hairdressing .. .. . . Canterbury, Wanganui. Jewellery and watchmaking . . Wellington, Auckland. Leadlight and glass working . Canterbury. Letterpress, lithographing, and book Gisborne,* Canterbury,* Taranaki,* Wanganui,* Otago. binding Masonry (stone and monumental) . . Auckland, Wanganui. Motor engineering .. . . Gisborne,* Westland, Canterbury, Auckland. Moulding .. . . . . Wellington, Nelson, Wanganui, Christchurch, Dunedin, Southland, Auckland, Palmerston|North, Painting .. .. . . Auckland, Gisborne, Wellington, Wanganui, Hawke's Bay, Palmerston North, Masterton, Nelson, North Canterbury, Dunedin, Southland. Plumbing and gasfitting . . ' . . Auckland, Hamilton, Whangarei, Gisborne, Wellington, Dunedin, Palmerston North, Nelson, Christchurch, Oamaru, South Canterbury, Southland. Plastering . . . . .. Auckland, Wellington, Wanganui, Canterbury, South Canterbury. Saddlery .. .. .. Auckland. Tailoring .. .. .. Wellington, Wanganui, Canterbury, Otago and Southland. Tinsmithing .. .. .. Auckland, North Canterbury. Typographing .. .. .. Gisborne,* Canterbury,* Taranaki,* Wanganui,* Otago. Wicker-working . . .. Dunedin. * No order yet made.