MAKING FARMERS

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 130, 26 February 1929, Page 10

MAKING FARMERS

PUTTING BOYS ON THE LAND

Very satisfactory progress is now being made in the concerted movement to induce a good proportion of the boys coming into the labour market every year to take up farming, it is stated.

The matter is one which has been causing some concern to the Government, education authorities and the public generally, and while general views were expressed that it would be a very desirable thing if some of the boys or young men could be persuaded to go on the land, nothing in the way of a practical solution was forthcoming until Mr. F. W. Rowley, secretary of the Labour Department, took up the matter. ,He caused investigations to be made in 17 different cities and towns where his department had officers, and conferences were held at which representatives of industries and various organisations were addressed, culminating in a meeting with the executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union. After having the position outlined to them that body left the matter in the hands of its secretary, Colonel Ji Pow, for him to consult Mr. Rowley and formulate some scheme which could be submitted to the executive at its next quarterly meeting, if not sooner.

Since then Colonel Pow and Mr. Rowley have discussed the subject very fully, and a scheme is now being drafted which it is hoped to put before farmers and boys interested at an early date. Probably the outline of the scheme will be submitted to the Minister of Labour (Hon. W. A. Veitch), before it is made public, which may be towards the end of next week.