CONDITIONS ON FARMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 262, 4 November 1932, Page 9

CONDITIONS ON FARMS.

FOR -UNEMPLOYED BOYS. ZiOCAIi- COMMITTEE'S CONCERN •REPLY TO CRITICISM. "I am quite in sympathy with the complaints of the boy's father," said Mr. X. G. Gribble, in commenting to-day c-n the statements : of a correspondent in tie "Star" concerning fie had conditions under which tiis son was forced to work on farms where he had bgen employed. "The whole object of the Auckland Boys' Employment Committee is to tackle the problem of hours and conditions under which a boy works. Although it i 3 quite impossible to standardise the hours a youth shall work, much can be done,- and we never send a boy on to a farm before we have made definite inquiries as to the conditions, etc., under which he will have to live."

Mr. Gribble said that one of the principal objects of the committee was to induce a boy to take the initial training at St. John's camp, so that he would I know what conditions to expect. Also, it was the committee's object to assist all boys who exercised "thrift during their years on the farm to acquire one of their own. They received very few complaints from those boys that the committee had placed, and in those rare cases where complaints were received the fault had been with the boy. "Boys should remember that the new life is a very big change, and the conditions take a little getting used to," he said. ■ Against the possible disadvantages ef a farm life, parents had to weigh tue responsibility of getting their boys work. It really resolved itself into a! question of whether parents wanted their boys idle at home, or whether they were prepared to give them a chance to try farm life and like it. Mr. Gribble said that from talks he had had with numerous farmers, he was firmly convinced that they were wanting boys, and" were prepared to give them "a tome away from home." They were prepared! to "take, boys where they would

not even consider taking men". The attitude of the general public was I gradually leaning to the necessity of boys getting on to farms, when work in the city was not available- The members of the committee were taking the matter very seriously, and their best endeavours were being put forward to do what they could for the boys. He said that a mother had said to him the other day that she did not know what to do to improve her son, who, aged 20, was beginning to deteriorate in many ways, because he couki not obtain employment.

COMMITTEE GRANTED £100.

A PROBLEM OF TROUSERS. The Auckland Boys' Employment Committee at its meeting received a letter [from the Acting-Minister of Employment, Mr. A. Hamilton, stating that a grant of £100 had been made by the Unemployment Board to assist the committee in defraying administrative costs. The board had expressed appreciation of the generous way in which prominent citizens were dealing with the difficult problem of juvenile employment. It was decided to thank the Minister and express the hope that further support would be forthcoming. A report was submitted to the effect that since last meeting donations totalling £42 had been received. The chairman, Mr. N. G. Gribble, sub-; mitted a report concerning what had been done by the executive to keep in touch with boys placed on farms. Bishop Liston's advice had been of great advantage.