HOUSING PLAN HITCH

Evening Star, Issue 22442, 12 September 1936, Page 14

HOUSING PLAN HITCH

INSUFFICIENT SKILLED LABOUR ARTISANS FROM BRITAIN SUGGESTED [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, September 12. When considering the resources available to. carry out large-scale bousing operations in the Dominion, the least 'of the Government’s difficulties appears to be finance, as it is becoming evident that the plan may bo limited by practical difficulties in organising the exexpenditure effectively. The position is governed by the amount of skilled labour available in the building trades, and there has been such a heavy drop in the number of apprentices in the “ key ” occupations of industry for at least five years that any appreciable improvement in activity will find the industry short of men, with consequent holding up of the employment of semi-skilled workers, and the many classes of employees, such as sawmill hands and others providing materials for building. Rather than have the important scheme hampered by labour shortage, it seems highly probable that the Government, when fully armed with information . regarding the supply of skilled labour needed for housing, would arrange for the importation of artisans from Britain, one hundred being talked of unofficially. Although this has not_ yet reached the stage of Cabinet consideration, the idea is being discussed in parliamentary circles, where it is regarded as an interesting possibility that New Zealand under these circumstances would be the first of the overseas'Dominions to assist Britain in relieving its unemployment problem by the organised emigration of artisans to this country. For many years the apprenticeship position has been a subject of official anxiety, and there is reason for this when the actual figures of apprentices trained in three of the important phases of the building industry are examined.. They are as follows :

These figures prove the impossibility of expansion of the building industry by supplies of skilled men from local sources, hence the interest now being taken in thp possibility of resuming immigration on carefully planned lines. The apprenticeship problem will be also dealt with by the Gbvernment, and it is likely that before the present session ends Parliament will be asked to pass lepislation modifying a system which has failed to maintain the necessary supplies of skilled workers.. The depression period prevented many youths from entering upon apprenticeship agreements, and they are now too old. However, this aspect is likely to be covered in the coming measure. There is also talk of a special training organisation s to accelerate the regular output of skilled tradesmen.

u C5 Q> ■ ‘ o.g *S >** W.S £ A c C3 S o Masonry. 1932 ... 64. 1,095 21 1933 ... 37 757 16 1934 ... 15 505 16 1935 •... 8 321 11 1936 ... .5 348 8