PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 



:>7 



ment should divide the trade training in two stages. The 

 first stage called the "student period" should be taken by 

 the men in technical or trades schools. During this period,, 

 they should be given intense courses of training mainly 

 with the object of rapidly assisting them to a useful degree 

 of skill in practical work. During the period of studentship 

 in technical or trades schools, the single men were to be 

 paid sustenance at the rate of £2 2s. per week. Extra 

 allowance was to be given, if married, in proportion to 

 responsibilities. On reaching a standard of skill equal to 

 an earning capacity of 40 per cent, of the minimum wage 

 payable in the callings for which they were to be trained, 

 they were to be placed out with employers as industrial 

 trainees, so that they might continue their training under 

 actual trade working conditions. Immediately on being 

 placed with employers, they would be paid as adult workers, 

 the Department refunding to the employers the difference 

 between the assessed efficiency of the men and the minimum 

 wage rate. It was expected that the efficiency of the men 

 would rapidly increase, so that as time went on, the amount 

 to be refunded by the Department would be continually 

 decreasing until a time would be reached when the trainees 

 would be capable of earning the minimum wage, and thus 

 be able to fend for themselves as fully competent journey- 

 men. It was suggested that, during the period of industrial 

 training with employers, the men should be assessed by the 

 Soldiers' Industrial Committees at intervals of three 

 months, so that the Department would be in a satisfactory 

 position with the employers as to the amount of refund as 

 efficiency increased. 



A very important recommendation on the question of 

 proportion of trainees to tradesmen in the callings was also 

 made by this conference. The recommendation was to the 

 effect that one industrial trainee could be taken for every 



