"SCHOOL-BOY LABOUR ON FARMS."

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15948, 9 July 1917, Page 9

"SCHOOL-BOY LABOUR ON FARMS."

| TO THE XDITOR 0* "tSE PRESS. ! Sir,—At this time when it is necessary for the full nationalisation of iho resources of New Zealand all leisure ; time must give piacc to work oil tnab which is essential war work. Tlig Efficiency Board has been established by the Government to cope with situations arising, in which there is need for the utmost industrial cfficiencv. One ofthe Board's most important duties is to seo that the country is maintained as least to its pre-war standard. Owing to iho depicted ranks of tbe agricultural labourers the farmers are threatened with serious labour trouble. Last year the deficiency of labour wa3 met in many cases by the senior boys of our High and colleges giving a large portion of tho Christmas vacation to farming work such as "picking-up."' '•'harvesting,*" etc. This season the need for boys will be materially increased owing to the continued draw on our able-bodied men. Tt is wisely proposed by the National Efficiency Board, and seconded by the majority of secondary schools in tho Dominion, that the September holidays be shortened and tho time thus gained (a fortnight), be added to the Christmas vacation. To do this throughout New Zealand, it is necessary to move forward the matriculation and other annual examinations a fortnight, but since the schools will have resumed for the third term a fortnight earlier than usual tliero would be no time lost from the school curriculum. Now the National Efficiency Board have sent circulars to the secondary schools saying that tho proposed scheme of altering the dates of these examinations has been dropped. Is this effi-ciency;-1 Tho wool work of the country begins towards the end of November, at which time, if the examinations were put forward, hundreds of ablebodied boys over 1-J years of age would bo set free to work on the farms. If, however, tho examinations aro held as usualj a fortnight's work is lost to tho country. "What obstacle is so great that it cannot be overcome for the advancement of essential war work: and no doubt wo shall yet see tho National Efficiency Board ablo to procure the pre-dating of tho examination fixtures to tho betterment of the farmers of New Zealand.— Yours etc.. M.S.M.