SKILLED TRADESMEN.

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20266, 7 August 1937, Page 8

SKILLED TRADESMEN.

OVERCOMING SHORTAGE. LEGACY OF DEPRESSION. (Special to Times). WANGANUI, Friday. That there was a keen shortage of skilled tradesmen, due in Some degree to the fact that during depressed times employers were unable to carry apprentices, was stated last night by the acting-Minister of Labour, the Hon. P. C. Webb. He said that when the Government endeavoured to get schemes going which required skilled labour they found a dire shortage of • skilled workers. During the depression years many of those who would have learned trades had gone to camps. In those carnps they found men of genius, and it had been a responsibility of the Government to try to get them back into industry. He thought a scheme would be evolved whereby it would be possible to get boys to learn trades and overtake the shortage in skilled labour so keenly felt to-day. When the slump came some builders had sacked all their skilled men and put up buildings largely with apprentices. BUILDING INDUSTRY. STATEMENT CHALLENGED. (by Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, Friday. ' A statement made by the actingMinister of Employment, the Hon. P. C. Webb, that a shortage of skilled tradesmen was holding up progress on the State housing scheme, was challenged by the secretary of the Canterbury Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners, Mr E. G. Sutcliffe. He claimed that in Canterbury there was a surplus of labour in the industry, and repeated a suggestion that lie has made previously—that the city is not receiving from the Government housing scheme anything like the labour relief which was expected.