114 ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS. 



Mr. S. C. Smith dealt with Secondaiy Education, 

 making particular reference to the Australian ISlaval 

 College, Jervis Bay. 



Mr. L. Deichaineux, in dealing with Technical Educa- 

 tion, said, inter alia : — 



If we are to have a lasting peace Germany and her 

 allies will have to take a place again in the community of 

 nations ; neither in international politics, science, nor in- 

 dustry can they be ostracised. Geimany and Austria can 

 produce better and cheaper goods ; there is nothing too 

 vast for its organisation or too minute for its attention, 

 and if necessary the whole country can work with skill, 

 knowledge, and frugality to re-establish its economic 

 supremacy, under conditions of hours of labour and pay 

 not to be compared with the Australian scale of living. A 

 country which, like Australia, depends for its welfare upon 

 the exportation of its raiw material will always be liable 

 to subiection ; the measure of leadership of a country is 

 not its size, or its population, or the wealth and nature 

 of its raw productions, but its industrial strength and the 

 swiftness with which it can adapt itself to new industrial 

 conditions. With a high standard of living, a shoi-t work- 

 ing day, a political policy which does not foster industrial 

 efficiency, great natural resources, and a low output indus- 

 trially Australia has much to make up. On the other 

 side of the ledger may be put our greater vitality, initiar- 

 tive, independence, and the fact that after the war the 

 conditions in Europe will tend towards shorter hours of 

 labour and higher jDay. Australian working conditions 

 will tend to create very large industries, scientifically 

 managed and organised; with a very large output, where 

 all waste will need to be eliminated to maintain the exist- 

 ing hours of labour and pay, and yet compete in the 

 markets of the world. In other words, the greatest 

 administrative and technical ability will be required. 

 With that in view the whole question of apprenticesnips 

 must be reopened. The system presses adversely on 

 masters and boys. "Why should a boy be bound to serve at 

 a trade for which he finds he has no natural aptitude?" 

 Why should he be bound for five years, say, if ho can 

 master the technicalities of his craft in three? What 

 guarantee has a bey that he will be given a full workshop 

 training? What guarantee has the master that he 

 will get an efficient and intelligent workman? What 

 guarantee can the master have, or give, that the man is 

 worth his money, and if he is not where will he drift to? 

 These are questions which have not received the attention 



