FARM WORK PROBLEM

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 21, 25 January 1934, Page 10

FARM WORK PROBLEM

EDUCATION CRITICISED. "INFERNAL MATRICULATION." "The people seem to think that the great thing these days is to pass this infernal matriculation. I like boys and I am keen to help boys who cannot help themselves, but I do think that the education in this country is totally -wrong,"' said Mr. J. H. Absolum at a meeting of the Napier Central Employment Committee for Youths. "In Russia school pupils spend half a day at their school books and the ■ other half at agriculture," said Mr. • Absolum. "That, to my mind, is the best system. If a boy knowa his job when he leaves school he will have no difficulty in getting work. There is a ; school following these lines in Feilding and I know of a boy who went there. .When he left at the age of 10, he had no difficulty in getting a job at 10/ a week and now is earning 25/ a week. The Chairman, Mr. W. T. Foster: At the High School we are trying to do the same as tney are doing at Feildinjr. Mr. Absolum: I think that the whole of the school should bo made to take the agricultural course along with their ' other school work. I consider that if the heads got together and talked things over and thought out something to put to the Government, then something would be done. The Chairman: The Government won't even take over the boy problem of to-day. There are many difficulties in the way of helping the boys. Even ■ the boys and their parents don't seem 'to want to help. I know for a fact that many boys choose the course that gives i them the most time in the workshops and the least amount o: homework. Many boys take engineering, not because they want to become engineers, but because they think that that course will be the easiest one.

The view that employers in the country did riot all treat youths well was expressed by Mr. E. A. Wood. He quoted as an example the case of a boy who took oh a farm job at 7/0 a week. His employer insisted that lie rise at 4 a.m. and because he could not wake up at that time, his employer purchased him an alarm clock for 14/0, forcing the boy to pay for it out of his first two weeks' wages. The boy objected to this treatment on the grounds that he could have bought a clock for 4/0 and as a result of a subsequent altercation, the boy was discharged. When he asked for a week's wages in lieu of notice, the employer made him take the alarm clock instead. "Surely that is an isolated case," remarked Mr. G. Mitford Taylor. Mr. Wood: No. I could lay my hands on many other cases of harsh treatment. If farm work is made more congenial, I am sure we will get more boys to go on the land. Mr. O. Anderson: What .Mr. Wood says is perfectly true. The fault is that there seems' to be no jurisdiction over employers.