SKILLED TRADES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 19, 24 October 1944, Page 6

SKILLED TRADES

SHORTAGE OF APPRENTICES, MR SULLIVAN'S WARNING Tlie necessity for Httentioa being paid to the apprenticeship question was* stressed by Mr W. Sullivan (National Bay of Plenty) when discussing the Labour Department Estimates, in the House of Representatives. In all skilled he said ? there, was only a total of 97-1-1 apprentices which showed the necessity for livening up the apprenticeship clause if sufficient skilled tradesmen were to be available. Taking the building trade, there were only 1-105 apprentices in the ■carpentry trade; i)0!i in the plumbing trade; 210 in the painting trade: 84 in the. plastering trade; and 17 in the bricklaying trade. That was a clear indication that there Avas something seriously wrong Avitli the Apprenticeship Act. The number of apprentices to the avaliable skilled tradesmen .should be increased. In many trades only one apprentice was allowed to three skilled men. That might have been all right, when tradesmen Avcrc more highly skilled, but in the machine age of today the proportion of apprentices to skilled men could be considerably increased. Employers should be encouraged to accept more apprentices. Those apprentices. -who had gone into the Services should be encouraged to return to their trades and complete their apprenticeships. Possibly the period of apprenticeship still to be servcxl in such cases could be reviewed in favour of the young men concerned. The best tradesman this country could have was from the young men who should have opportunity to enter the trades.

The Mines, report .showed that there had been a total loss on the State's activities in Lhe mining lie,ld of £99 15G stated Mr W. Sullivan

9 ' i '? when discussing the Estimates in the House of Representatives. The amount voted for the Stale Coalmines Account for 1 was £ 1 ~ and tlie, amount expended was £1,257111. Was the defieienejto be met by drawing on the War Kxpens.es Account? it was quite apparent from the State. Coalmines report that the consumers in Wellington ChrLstchurch and Wanganui ") *•- y where the State's retail coal depots were situated contributed 50 per cent towards the profits of those four mines, during tlie year. If all State businesses were run on thostile taxpayers avo 111 ' > c iincs ? up tho " have to make MtffeFoiice. The, total property sal lie of the nine mines Ava.?l £851 j B7G ) and yet with a capital like that thev showed a loss of £J)9,15G. 'f That was a serious matter and no recommendation for State, control. Tire Minister had not been- able to demonstrate the success he claimed would result from mines brought "under State control.