Boy Labour and Apprenticeship

The object of this volume is altogether practical—to show what reforms are necessary to prevent the growth of evil by laying the foundation of a new and true apprenticeship system. But to achieve this objective it is necessary first to explain how the problem was dealt with in days gone by, when life was more stable and industrial conditions less complex; and, secondly, to understand in detail the characteristic features of the question as it presents itself today. Only with the experience of the past and the present to guide us can we face the future with any hope of controlling its destinies.