BOY LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 559, 14 July 1909, Page 4

BOY LABOUR.

, — a DISCUSSED BY THE INDUSTRIAL ..>•;-;;..,,■:■.•..v,v.;.• ..ASSOCIATIpN....•.••..-. . Boy labour was discussed at a mooting of tho Wellington Provincial Industrial Association last ovoning. Tho subject was introduced by.. Mr. S. S. Williams, who brought under llio notice of those present a oaso in which n young man who had served his time nt a tiado was found to bo not competent to got journeyman's waja, which case.was broucht under tke notice of the "Minister for Labour with recommendations that employers should bo urged to pay more attention to teaching beys their trade during tho time of their indentures. Mr. Millar suggested that the spalo of wages {or apprentice!? might b© readjusted in such a manner as to bringabqut a mqro satisfactory state , of things.■ He , had gono as, far »9 to state; that'for. the ■ first, year the boy might bo paid merely a, nominal sum, during, tho tecond year SO perpent, of a,, journeyman's wages, for the third CO "per cent.,;iind-for the fourth 80 per cent.. Mr.: Williams .said ho . would like to kuow whero the profits of: the employers w«ro to come in under sucli nn arrangement. Under such an arrangement it would bo impossible for him to employ boys nt cabinetmaking—ho would get journeymen, from Homo, where there were plenty of them. Undor such oircumstances ho would. not bo bothered with Mr. Thos. Ballinger said that tho secretary of \ the Plumbers' Union had stated that the less boys touched the trade the better, io his mind the Minister's proposal was absolutely ridiculous. ' . Mr; Williams said that tho truth of tho matter: was that the journeymen wanted to sweep! nil' tho work.into their own lianas— they did not want any boys at all. : ■Mr. W. H. Bennett said thai the employers wero becoming so hedged in that they would not bo able to take on apprentices nt all, Any further restriction in that direction would seriously affect the trades of the Dominion. There was another matter in the proposition of the/ director of the Wellington Technical Sohool'to compel employers to allow apprentices to attend : the school during working hours.'- There might be a good d«a to say tor tho proposal, but there was a groat deal,more to' be eaid against it While they were at 'school. the boys would' lose the ■ practical training in their trade given by their employers. It would be nrach better if the boys attended tile Technical School for a year or two between the time they left the primary or high schools and when they took to a. trade, ..The ■experience of tho builders was that a boy who came put of his indentures when he was 17 or 1% years of age- was of little use,to^ them-as journoymani'-ae,. generally speaking, they hod| not mastered' the use of their tools-they were out before they were fit to earn journeyman s wages.. ;$Jf> ] )> boy should , come out., of, his • indentures'until ho was , 21. _ ■~;,'■■' '.-.. ■■' Mr. Ballingor thought. it ■ would be a_ right 'courso,' ito.'AaubniH the- matter to the faniamentarf Committee ,of the Wellington. EiriDlovera-. Association.- The employers sit must.fight! such they were raised. ~ •,': ; . ; •. . , .'>' , "A motion to that effeot. was proposed : ana carried.; .;..•/ •'-.■■ : '.:'.- - ''" .-.'. -'' : ';., ;•';'■