FARM TRAINING SCHEME

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25274, 28 August 1947, Page 6

FARM TRAINING SCHEME

FEDERATED FARMERS’

SUPPORT Full support for the Birch Hill farm training scheme was given yesterday at a meeting of the North Canter- - bury executive of Federated Farmers. A deputation, comprising Messrs A. M. Carpenter and M. M. Montgomery, members of the Canterbury Youth Farm advisory council, and Mr Gordon Innes, secretax-y of the council, | explained the scheme to the meeting. Mr Innes said that hitherto a large number of the boys going to jobs in the country had not only been poorly Educated, but had been of poor intellect. There had also been a drift of some of the brighter children from the country to the cities. The effect of this would be that the country districts would become the repository of the poorest intellects in the country. Since the Birch Hill scheme had been proposed, a survey of schools had shown that at least 45 boys .would be interested in training at the station next year. However, it now appeared that eight, or possibly six, trainees could be accommodated. Mr Innes emphasised New Zealand’s on the products of the land, and said it was hoped, through the Birch Hill scheme, to get some of the brains of the Dominion on to the land, “not some of the duds we have been getting.” The scheme depended primarily for its success on farmers’ support Mr M. "M. Fleming said that to-day there were practically no prospects of advancement for the average farm worker; it would be impossible for the average worker to save enough money out of his wages to buy his own farm eventually. A scheme like the current rehabilitation system was needed to form an incentive for youths at the conclusion of their training courses. Other speakers suggested that provision might be made for youths who could not be accommodated at Birch Hill to be trained by individual farmers without a preliminary course at the training centre; and that the period of institutional training should be shortened from 12 months, as had been proposed, to three months.