HELPING THE BOYS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 80, 5 April 1933, Page 8

HELPING THE BOYS.

WORK AND GUIDANCE!

WHAT N.S.W. IS DOING.

FARM SCHEMES PROMINENT.

(Frrfm Our Own Correspondent!)

" SYDNEY, March 30. i The. problem of youth—the necessity fori-finding work, and not simply interjobs, but steady* continuous employment, .for the rising generation, .is a duty that the Governments of the day have to* face. : ' 1 There are 42,000 boys out of work in New South .Wales alone, and the more enterprising and better educated of -them frequently appeal, through the newspapers, for .guidance ard help. The Premier, Mr. Stevens, and his colleagues have ' devoted some attention to this .question, but ap>art from suggestions about apprenticeship, and the need for .opening the a road to the land, they have done little to frame a comprehensive and practical policy. This is not altogether their fault, for tlic problem is so, vast that it almost defies •' any attempt .to handle it successfully; but the fact remains that our boys and young men are being driven almost to desperation by the scarcity of employment,, and the more adventurous are prepared to make any experiment, and take any risk, rather than endure enforced idleness too long. , . .. ;; Boy Suggests Scheme! The other day a boy 17 years old, who lias passed through a. high schools wrote to the "Sun" outlining a schieme for the population and ■ cultivation' of the Northern territories by drafts of young men from the cities.; He proposed that large bodies of youths, handled . if necessary, as military ; units, and disciplined like soldiers should be transported to the North, and that they should be set up in small groups' on cooperative farms "to give them an aim . in life and a chance to make something. ] of themselves." , ,

' > The , proposal is interesting, as indicating the anxious desire of*our young men to find their:way out of the present "impasse." .No doubt many: of - those who could, afford it have already left the country in despair. Quite'recently one of our newspapers published a letter from ■ a young Australian who has sought refuge in-Canada. He tells of many, of his countrymen—"dinkUm Aussies," full of true Australian patriotism—who have been driven from thennative land: by need, but who long to return and "only await the day when some statesman will give the Australian youth what he justly deserves."

Small Farming. While politicians are too much inclined to argue, the practical man does what he finds nearest to hand, and countless little enterprises have come into being which . directly and indirectly are helping to relieve the pressure and open the way. for employment for the young. For example, the Rev. H. Ebbs, a clergyman at Manly, distressed by his inability to find work for the young men constantly applying to him, got together a committee of local people, induced the Government authorities to "lend" him 12 acrds of Waste land near "the village," and started a small farm which now employs 12 boys. In a few months they raised' and' sold 15001b of tomatoes, hundreds of - pounds of - 'beans, cucumbers, melons ■ and other - "garden truck," and in the last two months ' they ha,ve marketed 1200, eggs. • . <

; The boys knew -nothing- of farming when they started, and "the land-was absolutely unproductive" before. Naturally, - the Manly: people are ! proud of the success of this little enterprise, and they are talking about establishing in tho district, a ; chain-of farms to train hundreds of boys.. But" projects for the employment of youths and boys are not being left wholly to private' enterprise, and a very promising scheme lias just' been - initiated. 1 by ; Mr. "Dunniiigham,. Minister of Labour. 1

| - - Young-Citizens 9 . Associations. ' In every municipality in' the State a young citizens'. association is to be' founded, 'and the sum "of £35,000 hasalready been 'allocated 'to assist thcFfe organisations on .the financial side.-Every association will; form two committees, one to concentrate on "welfare .activities", aijd ( the other/on; employment. ~ The second * body . will co-opera te with - the

vocational guidance committees already in existence, and will endeavour to make a rough classification . of the yoiuig people ~in the district needing-work to explore the facilities for tijeir employment, and to institute regular courses ,of training for industrial and commercial occupations. .... >. v ,

At Paddington, where the .scheme baa been at work for a short time, it has produced very promising results. Morq than. .150 boys have been attending classes in carpentry, wire lees, engineering, swimming and first aid, and 50 girls are taking les6on6 in dressmaking, shorthand and typing and physical culture. It may seem trivial enough, but these young people are at least filling their time to' good purpose and equipping themselves for the future. •