HELPING BOYS TO BUY FARMS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 124, 21 February 1944, Page 6

HELPING BOYS TO BUY FARMS

Subsidized Savings GOVERNMENT ACTION SUGGESTED Dominion Special Service. AUCKLAND, February 19. As. a means of fostering primary production by settling more young men on the land and giving them the opportunity of owning their own farms, a schemeby which a boy’s savings over a period of eight years are subsidized pound for pound by the Government, till £lO9O is available when he is 23 years of age, was advanced at a special meeting of the Auckland Education Board yesterday. Strong approval was given by the board, which stated that the idea should be considered favourably by the Education Department. v The scheme was drawn up by the advisory committee of the Tauranga District High 'School, and it. already has been submitted to -the Ministers of Education and Agriculture. At the request of the board, Mr. C. H. Read, secondary assistant in charge of the farm course at the school, was present at the meeting to outline the proposals.. Mr. Read stated that to qualify for the subsidy scheme, boys must have had at least two years at an approved school farm course, have reached the age of 16 and be recommended for the subsidy by their school. During the first year when the boy was 16 and on an award wage of £l/4/6 a week, and keep, he would save £2B. With subsequent increase in wages, his savings would increase, till in the sixth, seventh ■ and eighth year, he would put aside £B6 a year. Over the eight years his savings would total £5OO, which, with an equal amount as Government subsidy, would give him £lOOO. Over the eight years, the boy would have spent £971 and saved £5OO. It was then considered that with £lOOO the 'boy could -buy a dairy herd, take up share-milking and eventually, when he was between 30 and 35 years of age, -be in a position to own a farm. Mr. Read said the scheme should be a national one, with administration controlled by local advisory committees, consisting of practical farmers. “The major difficulty in the way of a boy becoming a farmer is his lack of capital,” said Mr. Read. “About half our boys are keenly interested in farm work and like the outdoor life, but they do not want to be merely farm labourers most of their lives. Farming was never more popular among iboys than today, and we have no difficuty in placing Super cent, of our pupils on farms during the holidays. The attractions of the cities are overdone, and given some guarantee as to their future, there would be no difficulty in placing lads on the land.”

The chairman, Mr. W. J. Campbell, congratulated Mr. Read on having introduced a splendid scheme, and the board unanimously decided to give all the support possible.