DAY LABOR AND APPRENTICES.

NZ Truth, Issue 62, 25 August 1906, Page 4

DAY LABOR AND APPRENTICES.

The principle of day labor as* against contract is essentially democratic, and m keeping wii* the best traditions of our progressive 1-abor laws ; but there never yet was a labor condition set down but some shrivelled-souled employer found a way of evading it, and using the very law that was put upon the Statute' Book for the benefit of the worker to squeeze 'a bit more profit out of those who do the graft. Last week some repairs and renovations were required at Parliament House, and the work was let out as day labor.. One employer (a very wealthy man, too) managed somehow to get a couple of his men (?) on the job, and for their services he received the full tradesman's pay, and time and a quarter for all the hours they worked overtime. Now, one of these men was not a journeyman at all, but an apprentice receiving 12s 6d per week; This lad had to sign for full journeyman's money and the Government paid full , journeyman's money for his services, although he has been at the trade under two years. But when he came to . get his wages he. was paid (by his employer) 12s 6d, and 6d an hour overtime. This rate of .. pay is quite correct, according to the Union sche-' dule, but an apprentice with two years' experience ' cannot be" classed as a tradesman and is not entitled to take a tradesman's place amongst a body of day laborers. This is exactly the/ sort of thing day labor is supposed to stop— the exploitation v of labor. -If an employes: is fortunate enough to secure an apprentice who shows special ability and can utilise him m his workshop to a big profit, well and good. The lad give,s his brains and his industry m return for his trade education." But when the Government; m the interest of the individual workers at various trades, favors the day lab or system as against inviting tenders from contractors,'it is both against the spirit and letter of the principle that a nonworker should reap any advantage from the workers' labors. This is a matter that requires special attention, and w<vhope that Mr Millar, who is so well versed m the intricacies of the labor v. capital problem, will give it his early consideration. It has ; been reoopnised for many years past that m spite of our progressive la/bor legislation the working man of this colony has not been getting , a fair deal, owiwg mostly to the lax ad- i ministration of the laws. With a live labor Mi-nister— a man whose sympathies have always been with the workers—some changes for the . better may be confidently looked for.