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Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 243, 14 October 1929, Page 10

BACK TO THE LAND.

BOYS ON FARMS. GOVERNMENT SCHEME. MINISTER OUTLINES PROPOSALS. That there arc plenty of opportunities for boys to take up farming with excellent prospects of success, is the opinoin of the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, Minister of Industries and Commerce. In answer to a. question the Minister said his Department was co-operating with the Labour Department in the new scheme, and he hoped to make a detailed announcement of the plans in the near future, and to give early effect to them. It was proposed that the Labour Department's officers, all over the Dominion, would find positions for suitable applicants. It was also probable that a permanent inspector would be appointed to see that the boys would be working under good conditions, and were doing satisfactory work. The lads would have to start at a nominal wage of about 10/ a week; but thergj would be rapid increases which would depend on ability. Ultimately something would be done to see that the young farmers would get land to farm for themselves.

Mr. Cobbe intimated that generally the scheme would follow the panic lines as those adopted with the English public school hoys. "We hfivc received strong representations to continue the work with boys from England," said the Minister, "but Ave think our own bovs should at least get the same opportunities. Xot all the boys leaving our secondary schools can hope to obtain good city positions, and it will be an ""excellent thing for the country if some of them can be induced to go on the land."