TEACHING OF TRADES.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 May 1923, Page 4

TEACHING OF TRADES.

CONFERENCE DISC ESSES CONDITIONS.

WELLINGTON. Alav 2

.. ccniiercnc.? of representatives of employers’ and workers’ organisations was opened by the Minister of Labour, the Hon. J. Anderson, this morning, to consider proposals to be drafted in view of improving conditions regarding apprenticeship. The M blister said t hat he regarded the Conference as bring one of the most important held in Xcw Zealand, lor it it was successful in overcoming the difficulties of teaching young people trades, it would he easier to achieve greater prosperin' for the Dominion in the future. Since the •lump, uncmploynirnt had begun to increase, and it wa.s found that a large proportion of the sufferers were those engaged in blind-alley occupations. ITiomploynirnt had been overcome to a largo extent, and to-day thmv were not many more on the Labour Department's hooks than there were a .’.ear ago. lie wanted a full and frank thsciis-ion on the proposals drafted. Ait -r the. Mill wa.s prepared, any nmt-

ters consierod vital would be the subject of evidence before the Labour Bills Committee. He proposed to circulate the result of the deliberations of the conference to unions of workers and employers, and to the general public. It seemed to him that apprenticeship in the future would have to be oil a different basis than in the past, and he thought that technical schools and even primary schools could work in such a way that hays and girls could- be selected for trades when it was considered that they were unfitted for professional occupations. He thought that it was ihe duty of schools to advise parents. The conference i- dismissing the question in private, the Minister stating that reports of the proceedings will he supplied later.