UNEMPLOYED YOUTHS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 138, 13 June 1932, Page 5

UNEMPLOYED YOUTHS.

CANON FANCOURT'S PROPOSAL.

"We must appeal to the spirit of adventure in youth," declared Canon W. Fancourt in the course of a sermon in which he dealt with the problems of youth, at St. Mary's Cathedral yesterday morning.

In New Zealand to-day, said the preacher, there were. 20,000 youths between the ages of 1G and 20 for whom there was no work. The Government had said that the difficulty of providing work for the fathers of families made it impossible for anything to be done for the youths. The country would have to appeal to the spirit of adventure in these youths. There were thousands of acres of virgin soil waiting to be cultivated. There was the call to adventure, and the youth of the country should be allowed to go forward to conquer the land.

Any scheme for land development by youths, said Canon Fancourt, would have to provide for the establishment of camps. Under leadens who still had in them the spirit of adventure the great army of workless boys and youths could be organised and welded together. The expense of the scheme would not necessarily be great. Much free assistance would be given, and if necessary the Government might issue "youth bonds," with little or no interest. The essential thing was to appeal to youth on its 'own level and with its own spirit. The speaker stressed the views that the youths should not be forced to cuter into the scheme. "Above all," he said, "let it be free. Send out your call to the spirit of adventure and achievement to youth, and it will not be unanswered," he declared.