H,—ll.

Return showing Number op Apprentices employed in Skilled Trades, April, 1939. (The figures for the previous year are shown in parentheses.) Number of Number of Number of Trade. Apprentices Trade. Apprentices Trade. Apprentices employed. employed. employed. Baking .. .. 271 (243) Dentistry .. 8 ( —) Painting .. 325 (271) Boatbuilding .. 46 (35) Electrical .. 720 (577) Photo-engraving 44 (33) Boilermaking .. 40 (31) Electroplating .. 5 (4) Plastering .. 138 (102) Bootmaking .. 259 (253) Engineering ..1,111(1,006) Plumbing .. 498 (418) Boot-repairing .. 32 (30) Motor engineering 1,351 (1,188) Printing .. 743 (690) Blacksmithing .. 19 (17) Furniture .. 735 (674) Saddlery .. 41 (47) Bricklaying .. 41 (33) Gardening .. 9 (7) Sail and tent .. 8 (4) Carpentering ..1,449 (1,028) Hairdressing .. 139 (126) Tailoring .. 43 (26) Clothing .. .. 214 (215) Jewellery .. 57 (47) Tinsmithing .. 207 (193) Coachbuilding .. 495 (433) Leadlight .. 30 (19) Wicker-working.. 16 (18) Coopering.. .. 6 (6) Masonry .. 20 (12) —— Curriers .. .. 1 (1) Moulding .. 107 (93) Totals .. 9,251 (7,916) Cycle-working .. 23 (25) The following table shows the number of apprentices employed in each year since 1928 :— Ami] Number of . .. Number of Pl ' Apprentices. Apnl> Apprentices. 1928 .. .. .. .. 10,227 1934 .. .. .. .. 4,303 1929 .. .. .. .. 9,943 1935 .. .. .. .. 3,329 1930 .. .. ... .. 9,826 1936 .. .. .. .. 3,552 1931 .. .. .. .. 8,901 1937 .. .. .. 5,231 1932 .. .. .. 6,910 1938 .. .. .. .. 7,916 1933 5,594 1939 .. 9,251 It is interesting to note that the number of apprentices employed has increased from 3,329 in 1935 to 9,251 in 1939, and is approaching the 10,000 mark, which, as indicated by the records of the Department, is the approximate number of apprentices employed in normal times. The number of new contracts registered for the years ended 31st March, 1936, 1937, 1938, and 1939, were as follows : 1,292; 2,328; 3,235; and 2,700. However, there still appears to be a reluctance on the part of some employers to engage apprentices, and there is yet ample scope for the employment of a greater number without in any way exceeding the proportion allowed by the various Orders of the Court of Arbitration. Steady progress has been made under section 7 of the - Statutes Amendment Act, 1936, which was enacted especially to meet the case of those youths who missed their opportunity of learning a trade during the depression. This provision enables the Minister of Labour to approve of contracts of apprenticeship in respect of youths of eighteen years of age and over upon such terms and conditions as the Minister thinks reasonable and equitable. Up to the 20th July, 1939, 1,356 contracts had been approved by the Minister, and particulars of the principal trades concerned are as follow : Bricklaying, 28; carpentry and joinery, 623; coachworking, 56; electrical, 82; engineering, 90; motor engineering, 127 ; furniture, 54 ; painting and decorating, 86 ; plastering, 38. In order to encourage apprenticeships in the carpentry and joinery and bricklaying trades a subsidy is offered to employers in respect of the employment of youths between eighteen and twenty-five years of age in these occupations. This scheme is still in operation, and 478 contracts have been approved in the carpentry and joinery trade and 21 in the bricklaying trade. The following table shows the number of apprentices employed in the various branches of the building industry during each of the past six years as compared with the number employed in 1928 : —

Apprentices employed in Various Branches of the Building Industry as at April,

ARREARS OP WAGES. Amounts totalling £31,994 7s. 3d. (last year £36,044 25.) were collected by the Department's officers on behalf of workers who had been underpaid the wages prescribed by awards and the various Acts, while further amounts of such arrears totalling £32,038 18s. lOd. (last year £38,613 10s. 2d.— owing to a mechanical error in the computing-machine this figure was shown as £8,613 10s. 2d. in last year's report) were paid by employers at the instance of the Inspectors directly to the workers concerned : Total, £64,033 6s. Id. (last year £74,657 12s. 2d., incorrectly shown in last year's report as £44,657 12s. 2d.—see above explanation).

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1928. 1934. 1935. 1936. 1937. 1938. 1939. Bricklayers .. .. .. 127 15 8 5 22 33 41 Carpenters .. .. .. 1,757 505 321 348 604 1,028 1,449 Painters .. .. .. 481 152 97 105 168 271 325 Plasterers .. .. .. 227 68 40 38 62 102 138 Plumbers .. .. .. 741 300 239 213 299 418 498