TRAINING BOYS FOR FARMS

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21986, 9 January 1937, Page 18

TRAINING BOYS FOR FARMS

HISTORY OP FLOCK HOUSE LARGE SUMS OF MONEY SPENT FUTURE CONTROL BY THE GOVERNMENT [By EDWARD NEWMAN] "This is a living war memorial, conceived in gratitude; expressed in generosity; administered in wisdom. This is not a memorial of mute stone, it is the transformation of orphan sons of seamen into practical, prosperous New Zealand farmers.” In these words a prominent journalist once described Flock House, which has now been taken over by the Government to be continued as a farm-training establishment for boys. During the Great War th« British Government agreed to purq]jpse New Zealand wool for war purposes, but in 1918, before the war terminated, the New Zealand sheep owners were informed that the British Government intended to return to the New Zealand farmers half the profits realised by the sale of their wool for civilian purposes. At that period the New Zealand wool growers, myself among them, were obtaining very high prices for their wool; further, at that time the loss in merchant shipping through the action of enemy submarines, was at its very Worst, and there were grave doubts in the minds of many naval experts as to whether the convoy system recently adopted would save the Empire from defeat through starvation in England and the loss of war material and men. I felt strongly, and later learned that other wool growers were of the same mind that it was our duty to take some action to show our appreciation of and gratitude to the British seamen of the Royal Navy, Mercantile Marine, and the great auxiliary forces before we took to ourselves this unexpected gift from the Imperial Government. Obviously, the best way to test the opinion of wool growers was to make an appeal to thejn stating the facts plainly and distinctly, and this I did at a meeting of the Marton branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union on July 18, 1918. A Quarter of a Million The response was immediate and satisfactory, resulting in a sum of not far short of a quarter of a million pounds being promised for the benefit of British seamen of the Royal Navy and the Mercantile Marine, including all such serving units of his Majesty’s naval fleets, whether such units were temporarily or permanently in his Majesty’s service, and their dependents, preference to be given to sailors of the Mercantile Marine trading between New Zealand and the United Kingdom during the war. When the permanent board was formed in 1921 I became chairman and Mr T. R. Lees accepted the position of managing trustee. The fund now being fairly established, and the money available, it became the duty of the board to decide upon the best method by which the purposes for which the money was subscribed might be carried into effect, and after much consideration it was finally decided that the best service that we could render seamen’s dependents was to give them such instruction in farming as would enable them to make a living as farmers’ assistants and farmers later in New Zealand. Acquirement of Property It was decided therefore to bring as many as possible suitable boys and girls to New Zealand, and, after training them in farm work, establish them on approved farms and stations as assistants, with a view to later helping them to obtain farms of their own. This project was approved by the contributors to the fund, and in 1924 the property now known as Flock House acquired. The whole area totalled 8261 acres. The first draft of English boys, selected by the London Advisory Committee under the chairmanship of Sir James Allen, arrived on June 30, 1924, and the establishment was formally opened by Viscount Jellicoe on July 18, 1924. Boys continued to arrive regular!y in four-monthly drafts until October, 3931, when a total of 635 lads had been received and absorbed into the community. In 1926 Girls’ Flock House was established to receive sisters of the boys who had been to Flock House, and regular drafts of girls arrived for training until, in June, 1930, a total of 128 had been received. The trainees carried with them into employment a promise from the trustees that, provided they proved themselves reliable and trustworthy, and saved a reasonable proportion of their wages, such savings would be later subsidised by the addition of a free grant of 75 per cent, of the amount to enable them to make a start for themselves. Chance of New Zealanders During 1930 and 1931 the full force of the world’s financial depression was over New Zealand, and it was deemed wise to cease for a period bringing overseas boys to New Zealand. There was also a great desire throughout the Dominion that the benefits of a Flock House training should be made available to New Zealand boys. Early in 1932 a large conference was held at Flock House between the trustees and representatives of patriotic associations and Returned Soldiers’ Associations throughout New Zealand, and it was decided that, with the assistance of the Government toward maintenance costs, the sons of New Zealand returned soldiers should be received at Flock House for training. The last draft of overseas seamen’s sons was received at Flock House in October, 1931, and the first son of a New Zealand returned soldier was received in April, 1932. Since that date to August 31, 1936, 300 New Zealand boys have been received at Flock House, and 267 have completed their initial training and have been placed in employment. In July, 1932, old Flock House overseas boys and girls spontaneously subscribed the money required for the outfit and training at Flock House of 12 sons of New Zealand returned soldiers as a token of appreciation and gratitude. Nearly 1000 Boys Nearly 1000 boys have passed through Flock House, and since the inauguration of the scheme the property has been greatly improved and its carrying capacity increased. A large number of boys have now by these means acquired and hold farms of their own, many by obtaining individual areas in different parts CS New Zealand, and others through the acquisition and subdivision by the trustees of the Panetapu Settlement in the Waikato, where about 20 boys occupy farms stocked and in good order. The expenditure of the fund m outfitting, immigration, training, aftercare, and ultimate settlement of boy and girl dependants up to June 30,

1936. has been £86,300. jr £62.709 distributed to widow* capacitated seamen and ~*£]sP! to bcncliciaries. accounts to of the £201.000 originally Substantial additional assets for further assistance sun d however, from interest e* l Flock House station. _< . -ifi*