BUILDING TRADE.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 November 1919, Page 8

BUILDING TRADE.

OVERCOMING LABOR SHORTAGE. TRAINING UNSKILLED RETURNED MEN. Wellington, Nov. 27. The scarcity of labor in the building trade is a factor that is seriously impeeling efforts to overcome the housing problem in and around Wellington, 'it lias been suggested that the labor short' age could be met largely by the training of fit and unskilled returned soldiers in building work, and with a view to trying to arrive at a satisfactory basis for the instruction of one hundred men a conference was held recently between member? of the Wellington District Repatriation Board, the Master Builders' Union, and the Wellington branch of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners. It was pointed out to the conference that, although three thousand unionists enlisted, there was a decided shortage of carpenters, but more particularly of joiners. From various causes apprentices were not coming forward. • After considering the position as it exists today, and as it was likely to be after the present shortage of houses was relieved, the conference resolved that it would be safe to nrranga for the training of one hundred fit, unskilled returned soldiers in the Wellington district. trainees to be allotted on the basis of one to three journeymen, or part of three, a further conference to he held if it was desired to train more than one hundred men. It was felt that while men would, of course, learn quicker than the usual boy apprentices, three years' training would be necessary to instruct a man in carpentry, joinery, and boxmaking. All trainees, it was decided, must attend the Technical School. The scheme under which the men will be trained is the existing subsidised wages scheme, wages to he made up to £3 per week by the Repatriation Department, and to be fixed by a commit,tee consisting of the chairman of the Repatriation Board, a representative of the union, and a representative of the employers. The trainees will he picked men. It' was considered advisable that a minimum wage should be fixed up to f the time when the full award wage would be earned. It was resolved that progress renorts should be required from the employer and the Technical School, and that the wages committee should bo an appeal hoard for readjustments necessary in any case. Those present at the conference were assured that the emplovers and the journeymen would do all in their power to turn out the trainees ns competent journeymen, able to earn the award wage in any market.