FACTORY WORKERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 May 1939, Page 5

FACTORY WORKERS

TRAINING OF ADULTS PROPOSED BY MINISTER OF LABOUR. TRANSFERS FROM PUBLIC WORKS. (By Telegraph—Pi-ess Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, April 30. A scheme for the absorption in factories of many adult workers now engaged on scheme No. 13 works and public works is engaging the full attention of the Minister of Labour, Mi Webb. Details have yet to be discussed between the Minister, the Manufacturers’ Association, and the Federation of Labour, but Mr Webb is optimistic that general approval of the scheme will be given. Outlining his plan, Mr Webb said any adult anxious to learn a trade would be given the opportunity if the Manufacturers’ Association and the Federation of Labour accepted the scheme. If satisfactory arrangements could be made with those bodies, the Government would be prepared to give whatever assistance was deemed advisable in helping secondary industries to take on adult labour and to train that labour in order that more consumable goods might be produced in the Dominion.

“It is quite obvious that if the manufacturing industries are to produce the commodities needed to meet the national requirements extra labour must be employed,”- said Mr Webb. “All young labour is now employedin fact there is a definite shortage of this class of labour throughout the country. -To import labour from other countries to do the work we think ought to be done by our own people would be • a mistake. The workers must be given the opportunity. The Government proposes to face its responsibility by assisting in having our own people trained.” During the depression many hundreds of young single men were compelled to leave their homes in the cities to go on public works jobs in all parts of the country, said the Minister. They had no opportunity of learning a trade and the Government believed that that opportunity was now being presented by providing them with work in factories. The production of things so badly needed would be assisted, trained artisans and skilled operatives would be produced and the number employed on the various public works'throughout the country would be reduced. •‘I ap confident that these men will make excellent tradesmen and will compare more than favourably with those that may have had to be imported from overseas if we did not move to train our own,” said Mr Webb.