THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1924. PROFESSIONS AND INDUSTRIES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 25 September 1924, Page 4

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1924. PROFESSIONS AND INDUSTRIES.

A telegram published iii Tuesday’s paper referred to the question of apprenticeship, the director of the Wellington Technical College drawing': attention to the fact that 68 per cent, of the boys leaving school last year wished to take up professional occupations and only 22 per cent, industrial. These figures indicate clearly that the number of boys seeking-what, may be termed “genteel” callings as compared with industrial is in the ratio of three to one, and, in a country dependent almost entirely upon primary production, such a position must be regarded as serious. In recent years there seems to have sprung up a wide: spread feeling among parents that their children should enter upon pro : fessional callings and avoid, if possible, the skilled trades-, and in order to give their boys the education required to enable them to take up professional occupations no- inconsiderable sacrifices are made by parents. It is, of course, beyond one’s province to claim the right to say that this boy should enter upon a professional career and that boy a, trade. Some boys are fitted by nature and temperament to take up one class of work, but all boys are not fitted -for the same vocation. Not every boy could make a success of a professional, career; nor could every boy succeed in a trade. In New Zealand, as the Minister of Education stated recently, there is a tendency in country high schools to concentrate largely on the matriculation course, to the neglect of the agricultural and home science courses. But, the Minister adds, there are indications that the teachers “would in most cases prefer to • encourage the more vocational courses if it were not that parents and children are anxious that the .course taken should lead to the university or to a learned'profession. ” The problem of securing skilled workers has caused employers in many industries considerable anxiety, and! though it may be found that demand will ultimately stimulate supply the position at the present time is difficult. ■ The professions are becoming overloaded, while .in the skilled occupations there is a shortage of workers possessing the necessary training to enable them to turn out the best quality work. Moreover, people in professional employment have to go to the cities and towns to live, and if the proportion of city dwellers compared with rural residents is to become three to one the outlook for the future of the Dominion will be very dark indeed. The drift to the cities has been referred to frequently by farmers, and fears have been expressed that unless rural life retains its hold upon a sufficient number of people, we may experience difficulties such as face Australia, where there are huge cities, but poorly settled country districts. It is necessary to have met capable of filling professional positions, but it is just as important for the Dominion to have men skilled in the country’s industries and especially in the primary industries. In recent years efforts have been made to attract young, people to agricultural pursuits, and we believe that the Boys’ and Girls’ Club movement lias done good work, and that if supported properly it will lead to excellent results. It is a mistake to send boys to occupations for which they have no liking, and parents should, we think, endeavour ns far a s possible to find out the natural benf of their boys before sending them to work. If a boy has a natural liking for engineering or an occupation in

which skilful fingers have an importaui part, it is cruel to send him to, say, a clerkship to deal with things in which he finds it impossible to fake an 'interest,. Similarly, if a boy is fond of agriculture and domestic animals he should be encouraged to take up farming. We suppose that parents think that professional callings are better paid than the trades, but many a good tradesman is receiving more than many workers in offices, and to have the professions become overburdened, as appears to be likely, cannot be regarded as good for the country. The Dominion needs good workers in both the trades and professions, and it is to be hoped that, the serious dangers of the disproportion of professional to industrial workers indicated in the figures quoted at the beginning of this article will be overcome.