Centres continued to be run on the same lines as in previous years. With the exception of the centres in the mining areas, to which special reference is made below, the average stay at a centre is probably not more than three weeks, and it is, accordingly, not possible to provide systematic training or instruction. The object of the centre is to keep boys and girls fit and interested during spells of unemployment by means of physical training, swimming and organised games, various forms of handwork, and informal instruction and lectures of a useful and interesting kind. Normally, centres are open for morning and afternoon sessions on five days in each week, but are closed on Saturdays. The minimum amount of instruction given is 15 hours weekly, that is, juveniles attend either at the morning or afternoon session.

Although it is only possible to require the attendance of boys and girls claiming unemployment benefit, the centres are open to all boys and girls from 14 to 18 who may be unemployed, and in certain areas a fair number of non-claimants do in fact attend. As in previous years, the most successful centres were found to be those in which the instruction had a strong practical bias. At a girls' centre in the North-Eastern Division, for instance, attended by unemployed fish-workers amongst others, keen interest was taken in a course which included common-sense shopping and household accounts, simple cooking and home-nursing; while a class of boys in the North-Western Division, many of whom were unskilled workers from the local docks, carried out successfully under the guidance of their manual instructor the work of renovating the mantelpieces and fireplaces at the centre, adjusting the door locks, distempering various rooms, levelling the playground and making double gates to it.

In the later months of 1927, in order to meet the special position of boys and girls in the depressed mining areas, special efforts were made to develop the organisation of centres in South Wales, Durham and Northumberland, and the south of Scotland, and by the end of the year provision had already been made for the great bulk of unemployed boys in these areas. In many cases boys are brought in by omnibus and tram to a centre from the surrounding mining villages.

In view of the fact that attendance at the centres in mining areas will probably be for a longer time than in normal cases, preparations were being made at the end of the year to develop the curriculum of these centres so as to provide systematic courses of practical work which would increase the fitness of the boys for employment elsewhere as openings might be available for them. The question of facilities for unemployed girls in the mining areas was also under consideration.

Future of the Centres.

The Committee on Education and Industry (England and Wales), as was mentioned in the 1926 Report, recommended that centres should be administered under a permanent scheme, instead of under a succession of temporary schemes, and made certain suggestions for their improvement. A similar recommendation was made by the corresponding Committee in Scotland. It was announced at the end of the year that it was proposed to refer to the National Advisory Councils for Juvenile Employment, which the Minister was about to appoint (see p. 68), the question of framing a permanent scheme of centres in accordance with the recommendations of the two Committees. The provision under the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1927 (see p. 32), by which the Minister is given power to pay part of the cost of approved courses of instruction for unemployed juveniles out of the Unemployment Fund may also be noted in this connection.

Local Education Authorities were informed at the end of the year that, pending the consideration of a permanent scheme, it was proposed to continue the present scheme during the financial year 1928 to 1929.

COMMITTEES ON EDUCATION AND INDUSTRY.

The Committee on Education and Industry (England and Wales) and the Committee on Education and Industry in Scotland continued to sit during the year.

First Part of the Report of the Committee on Education and Industry (Scotland).

The first part of the Report of the Committee on Education and Industry (Scotland) was issued in January, 1927. The Committee had been in close touch with the corresponding Committee for England and Wales, with whose report (see pp. 76-7 of the Report for 1926) it was largely in agreement, though it pointed out that the educational systems and the official arrangements for advising juveniles and placing them in employment were different in the two countries and, therefore, that separate treatment was necessary. The following is a summary of the principal recommendations of the Committee :

The existing public arrangements in Scotland for advising juveniles and placing them in employment should be maintained and developed. A Central Advisory Committee for Juvenile Employment should be established in each county, with sub-committees for local areas. Education Authorities should co-operate more closely with Advisory Committees. The experiments of the National Institute of Industrial Psychology in vocational guidance should be continued and

encouraged. Special Advisory Committees similar to the existing London Committees should be established in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and possibly in Aberdeen and Dundee, for advising and placing in employment boys and girls from secondary schools. A Scottish National Advisory Council for Juvenile Employment should be established.

Pupils who have reached the existing school-leaving age should be retained at school until they obtain suitable employment, or attain the age of 15 years.

The present arrangements for the migration of juveniles oversea should be developed. Training centres for boys handicapped by their environment should be encouraged, and the provision of training centres generally should form the subject of immediate inquiry. The proposed Scottish National Council for Juvenile Employment should be closely associated with the work of the Oversea Settlement Committee.

Juvenile Unemployment Centres should be developed. There should be a permanent scheme under which centres could be opened as and when required. Centres should continue to be organised by Education Authorities under the supervision of the Ministry of Labour, or, in exceptional cases, directly by the Ministry. The full cost incurred by Authorities should be repaid by the Ministry, subject to any necessary financial safeguards.

The school-leaving age should be raised to 15 years as soon as it may be found financially practicable. Total exemption from school attendance should be granted only in cases of exceptional hardship. When, but not before, the schoolleaving age is raised to 15 years, the age of entry into Unemployment Insurance should be lowered to 15 years as a temporary expedient. Until the recommendations regarding the raising of the school-leaving age become effective, the issue of "working certificates" should be introduced, applicable. to all juveniles except those regularly employed in agriculture. There should be a statutory obligation on employers before engaging juveniles to require from them evidence that they possess certificates issued by Advisory Committees. The certificate should be issued to and retained by the employer. who should return it to the Advisory Committee on the discharge of the juvenile. There should be a statutory obligation on every juvenile with a working certificate to attend an unemployment centre or other course of instruction when au employed. an amendment of the Unemployment Insurance Acts no unemployment benefit be payable unless and until 30 contributions have been paid in the preceding two years, then the working certificates procedure should continue to apply to juveniles until they attain the age of 17 years, or become eligible for benefit, whichever is the earlier.

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Attitude of the Government towards the Reports of the Committees on Education and Industry.

A comprehensive statement of the Government attitude towards the recommendations contained in the Report of the Committee on Education and Industry (England and Wales), Part I, was made in the House of Lords on 9th March. It was announced that the Government had decided to accept the recommendation of the majority of the Committee, and to transfer to the Ministry of Labour the central responsibility for the administration by Local Education Authorities of choice of employment work. The Government also accepted the Committee's proposal for the establishment of a National Advisory Council for Juvenile Employment on which Local Education Authorities should be strongly represented, but it was not possible to arrive at a final decision on the matter until the Local Education Authorities had been consulted.

As regards the Committee's recommendation that a permanent scheme for Juvenile Unemployment Centres should be instituted, the Government was anxious to give sympathetic consideration to the matter, but decided that further examination and discussion were required, in particular, on the Committee's proposal that the full cost of the centres should be borne on the taxes. As regards the Committee's proposal that a system of working certificates for juveniles between 14 and 16 should be instituted, the Government, before adopting the proposal, considered it advisable to consult the Local Education Authorities, the employers and others concerned.

Under the Ministry of Labour (Transfer of Powers) Order, 1927 (see p. 55), effect was given to the Government's decision to transfer to the Ministry the central responsibility for the choice of employment administration of Local Education Authorities. The Minister announced his intention in November, 1927, of proceeding immediately with the appointment of a National Advisory Council for Juvenile Employment in England and Wales and a corresponding Council in Scotland, in accordance with the recommendations of the Committees on Education and Industry. The Councils, which would be appointed for two years in the first instance, would consist of representatives of Local Education Authorities, teachers, employers, workpeople, and of the Juvenile. Advisory Committees, and their terms of reference would be to examine and report to the Minister on various matters arising on the reports of the Committees on Education and Industry and on allied questions. It was proposed, in particular, to refer to the Councils the question of framing a permanent scheme of Juvenile Unemployment Centres, and of considering a "working certificate" procedure.

CHAPTER V.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE TRADE BOARDS ACTS, 1909 AND 1918.

APPLICATION OF THE ACTS.

There was no change during the year 1927 in the list of trades. (see Appendix XIII) to which the Trade Boards Acts are applied.

DESCRIPTIONS OF TRADES TO WHICH THE ACTS APPLY.

Alterations of Descriptions of Trades.

Special Orders amending the Corset and the Waste Materials Reclamation Orders were made on 13th June, 1927, and 22nd December, 1927, respectively. Notice was given on 2nd August, 1927, of the Minister's intention to make a Special Order amending the Milk Distributive Order. A number of objections were received, and further action had to be suspended for the time being, pending the determination of a legal point which had arisen. Notice was given on 2nd December, 1927, of the Minister's intention to make a Special Order amending the Hollow-ware Making Order (see p. 79 of the Report for 1926) and also to make a Special Order effecting a small consequential amendment of the Paper Box Order.

With a view to determining whether it was desirable to alter the scope of the clothing Trade Boards an inquiry was made during 1927 into the trade carried on by garment repairing firms, valet service firms, invisible mending firms and certain sections of the dyeing and cleaning trade. The inquiry had special reference to the repairing of used garments and the relationships between that branch of work when performed by the above-mentioned classes of firms and similar branches of work covered by one or more of the four clothing Trade Boards.

Interpretation of Descriptions of Trades.

During the year opinions were expressed on 862 operations upon which questions were raised, either by direct inquiries from employers or workers or as a result of visits paid to establishments by inspectors for the purpose of enforcing the Trade Board rates. For the year 1926 the corresponding number of opinions was 932.

CONSTITUTION OF TRADE BOARDS AND DISTRICT TRADE COMMITTEES. New Boards and Dissolution of Boards.

Amending regulations for the Tobacco Trade Board (Great Britain) have been made whereby the membership of the Board has been reduced in numbers. The old Board has been dissolved and a new Board appointed.

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