DEARTH OF BOYS AND CLERKS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 224, 16 January 1911, Page 7

DEARTH OF BOYS AND CLERKS

OIIAXGE OF THE TIMES. Auckland, January 12. Auckland employers complain" of a dearth of hoys, and wholesale and retail merchants and manufacturers alike have racked their brains and exhausted the possibilities of the advertising columns in an endeavor to get out of their difficulties, but all in vain. Now that the fact is manifest to them beyond dispute that they cannot get young people to work for thr-m (for the trouble applies to girls almost as much as to hoys), they are wondering what causes have brought the position into existence. It used frequently to he the case that hoys would contentedly start work at o's or 7s fid a week, but now it is far more usual for the employer to be compelled to otl'er 10s, and within a few months (regardless of the question of ability) to increase the pay to lis 6d. It used to he the case that hoys' names were kept in a list at many firms, the hoys or their parents hoping that a vacancy might occur, but now employers are apparently grateful in the extreme if they get a good hoy, and that are glad to get any sort of juvenile at all. Junior clerks are almost as hard to get, and good one. (according to some of the would-be employers) are as precious as rubies. It is a trite saying that hoys I and girls will not go into factories, because they prefer to keep their coats on, and go in for "more respectable" work in ollices, but it appears that the only young workers who are available readily are girl typists, and, surprising as it may seem, they are not numerous enough to over-supply the demand, tiood boys fresh from a primary school are in keen demand, but youths of 17 or 18 who have been "higher educated" are not so useful.