BOYS ON THE LAND

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 24, 27 July 1929, Page 17

BOYS ON THE LAND

SCHEME PROPOSED

WORK ON PUMICE LANDS

PAEMEBS CONSIDER

The problem of tho settlement of boys upon farms was considered at tho New Zealand Farmers' Union Conference yesterday, when a comprehensive scheme was placed before the conference by the secretary (Mr. J. Pow). He pointed out that whatever tho number of boys absorbed might be, it was considered that only 50 per cent, would make good, and would eventually obtain farms of their own. Owing to want of ambition and grit it had been estimated that 30 per cent, would remain as farm labourers, whilst the remaining 20 per cent, would drift back to the towns. THE MAIN PHASES. The three main phases of the sehemo were: —(1) A probationary period of three months; (2) a training period of, say, three years, with private farmers, or two years on a training farm such as Penrose; (3) a developmental period of, say, five or six years on the pumico lands of the Taupo district, or on the gum lands of Auckland Peninsula, Prom an economic and training point of view, the union should recommond the Department of Agriculture to run the Beturned soldiers' training farm •at Penrose as a training farm for boys. Twenty-five boys could be trained at the same time, and as thero was a lot of equipment, implements, etc. there now, and not in use, the running expenses would not be heavy. The boys could be specially selected and trained for at least two years on tho farm in all phases of farming. Thoso boys who survived the probationary period with private farmers would be expected to continue their training or apprenticeship period of three years with their original employers. Ho suggested that (a,) boys should receive 10s a week for the first year and wages commensurate with their ability for the remaining two years; and (b) half of the wages be paid into the P. 0.5.8. by the farmer on behalf of tho boy, who should not have power to operate on his account until 21. Every boy should have tho right of appeal to tho provincial executive of the Now Zealand Farmers' Union in the district jn which he works for redress concerning wages, conditions, etc. FINAL OBJECTIVE, "The final objective of the scheme is to place all trainees, who aro still determined to go oil tho land, on the pumice lands of the thermal district around Taupo for special training before taking over farms of their own or on tho gum lands in Auckland Peninsula," ho said. "Tho main, essentials for tackling the development of such lands aro (1) youth; (2) experience in the farming of such lands; and (3) special financial concessions. Prom inquiries made it is apparent that five or six years will be needed to convert the rough scrub country in the Taupo district and the best of the gum lands into well-grassed .fields. Farmers in the Taupo district st«to that the Ti Rohauga and the Ti Hoi blocks contain at least 200,000 ■ acres of ploughablo land which for 50 yoars have curried sheep and cattle. To-day is the day of economic mass production, etc., and tho union suggests that tho development of the pumice lands and gum lands should be undertaken on a big scale by tho Department of Agriculture or by the Lands Department. "Suppose the Department of Agriculture undertook in the first place to break up 5000 acres of the best land in the Taupo district. Tho work on the block should be done by boys who had had thero years' training and who were desirous of developing this class of land for a future home. It is more than probable that the breaking in of tho first block would have to bo done by contract, as boys would not be available. Thereafter it would be essential to have the breaking in, grassing, etc., clone by the boys themselves. During the period of development each boy would receive weekly wages from the Department for his work, but half would be banked iii the P. 0.5.8. for him, and the Department would receivo the proceeds of production. It has been estimated that after three or four years tho block would bo self-support-ing. The whole block would bo run as a going concern by the Department under a competent supervisor, until it was considered capable of providing a living for the boys running it. When this stage was reached, the block would be cut up. into farms and ballotted for by the boys who had worked it. THE ECONOMIC FARM. "Inquiries made from several sources show that provided the grassing had been, successful the most eeeonomic farm would be one of 100 acres. Improved grassing in the pumico area has raised the butter-fat production from 60-701b per acre to 1501b. Assuming that 80 acres aro set aside for dairying, the total butter-fat yield at 1501b per acre would be 12,0001b, which at Is 6d would amount to £900. With the addition of proceeds from sale of pigs and potatoes the annual revenue could easily attain £1000. "Tho main items of annual expenditure would be: Manures' £.100, or £1 per acre; labour (a boy), say £100; interest £120 and general maintenance £150, a total of about £470. From these figures it is seen (somewhat roughly) that a fair living could be made, provided present prices keep vp. From an economic point of view it is highly desirable to have two farms of 100 acres well farmed than one of 200 acres indifferently fanned. FINANCE. "In the first place the Lauds Department would have to assess'tho land at nil, and the expenditure per acre carefully noted until it was handed over to the boys. The expense of development per aero less adjustments for proceeds from sale of produce during tho period would form tho selling price to the boy. Experienced farmers in the Taupo district state that it would cost about £6 to £10 per acre to make this land self-supporting, but under mass development this would be considerably reduced. "As a special incentive for boys to develop this class of country, provision should be made for them to: (a) Beeeive advances up to £750 for buildings, stock, etc., as was done under the D.S.S. system; (b) pay off his place on a long-term mortgage of, say, 20 years. He would then become the owner at the age of 43-45, and his annual repayments to the Department would not be too much of a load. After the first block of 5000 acres had been roughly broken in, another block could be taken in hand the next year, and so on, so that the different stages of development would be going on simultaneously. With the exception perhaps of the first block, or perhaps part of it, the whole of the development work should be done by the boys who would afterwards have farms in the block.' Development of the gum lands, on a smaller'scale perhaps, could :ilso be undertaken simultaneously with iho-de^elojmettt of the pumice lands, .as,

farmers m Auckland Peninsula state that with scientific treatment those -uiu lands could be made highly productive. FIGURES IN SUPPORT. "The following facts have been extracted from letters received from farmers in the pumico land area: (1) 'A' farms 254 acres of what he I terms tair second-class land. During the 1926-27 season his farm produced 27,1561b of butter-fat, valued at £1940 10s 7d, and pigs valued at £189 were sold, thus providing him with a revenue of over £2000. (2) 'B' took £305 worth of potatoes off three acres of land after deducting £85 as the valuo of tho seed. He dug 46 tons of prime potatoes from tho thrctf acres. This same farmer grew over 5G tons of swedes to the acre. He wrote: 'I havo farmed in Canterbury, Marlborough, and Taranaki, and I do not hesitate to .say that with tho exception of a few small areas, none of these places can compare in growing root crops of all sorts.' "About 30 per cent, of the boys would.never rise above the level of farm labourers. If the Lands Department could absorb a number of these and form them into working gangs much of the reverted lands could be regained and placed on the market without loss to the Department."

The conference decided to send the proposals to tho Department of Agriculture.