FARM CAMPS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 8, 9 July 1931, Page 17

FARM CAMPS

PROVIDING WORK

FARMER'S SCHEME

OUTLINED

Several remits bearing on unemploy* ment matters were referred -to a subcommittee for a report by the conference of the New Zealand Farmers' Union yes-.. terday afternoon. v A scheme relating to farm, camps.for the unemployed was introduced by Mr, J. It. Franklin (Wanganui). In outlining it, Mr. Franklin' said that tho Government should. 'provide..suitable"; land for farm-camps as. near to, the main centres as possible. These farms should lend: themselves to close cultivation,. as most of the manual work would be done ' by spade in order to reduce overhead expenses and to make every one work. .Big farms were/therefore, not necessary, but ft the land would have to be fairly good. Unemployed men could be used in -putting up hutments for single men and suitable quarters for married men. The Government would have to provide theftmaterial required. : NATURE OF WORK; \ The work to be undertaken in the'.faria camps would be pig and poultry. raising,.. vegetable growing, and if possible dairying. Stock for killing, and crops wanted ' for stock, would be grown so as-to make' the farm self-supporting. A capable farm manager would have to be in charge ' at each farm camp--preferably :. an experienced farmer' out of work ■-himself".;'; Tradesmen in the camps would-be encour-ft aged as far as possible to devote their time to their trades,' e.g., bakers, bootmakers, etc. The Government would supply all food; as much as possible would .-. be grown.on the farm. All surplus produce would be sold by the manager, and proceeds credited to the working of the' farm. The ideal would be to make, thai farm wholly self-supporting. The : food would be cooked by the wives of the married men. - ■ Preference would be given to married couples out. of work and to single men unemployable in towns." All would be free to leave when they liked; .those intending to remain at the farm, campswould have to give a fair day's work in return for their keep, and would have to rigidly observe rules. Men would: be. drafted by the farm manager to suitable joSs offering, at which wages could be earned, thus making them independent of further help. The scheme would- hot; intend the payment of wages, but a sum' of 5s per week could be set aside for each man worthy of'this monetary help to en*:. able him to proceed,to work when oh-.-, tamed. ft . .',:. .-.' Functions to be performed by-; the : Government would include:—(l) To secure suitable farms—hot too large—outside . the larger .towns to absorb the married couples out of work and the best of' the unemployable; (2) to provide the ma- : terial for erecting hutments, etc.; (3)" to provide food for the occupants of' the farm camps; (4) to provide a small allowance for travelling • expenses to suitable men. 'Duties of the occupants would be: —(1) To observe the rules of the camp; (2) to give honest work in return for food: supplied;-(3) to proceed to work on wages when work was procured; (4) "to behave themselves in a proper orderly .fashion. "It is felt," said Mr. Franklin, "that: (a) such farm camps will be'necessary for; many years to come in order to : absorb the unemployable;, (b). that, the upkeep' will not be a. heavy drain on the Gov. ernment after a proper start is made." SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE. ; In support of the scheme,. Mr. Franklin said that something constructive -was needed. .ft Although .taxation had .raised; hundreds of thousands of pounds,-every step taken seemed merely to increase.unemployment. Amongst the Unemployed to-day were some of the best workers in. the Dominion, while others were not pulling their weight. The latter were out: to do as little as they coiild :for .as much as they could get. There was ample ft proof that men could live in camps for' 12s a week, whereas now many of _ these men were being for without giving any practical return for the money. The principal use of the Unemployed- farm : [ would be to draft out deserving- men. to work on other productive works. There were many farmers in a very difficult position, and suitable men coiild be drafted out to assist them,' if the farmers themselves were practical and; efficient men. ' Unemployed funds thus ex-' pended would assist the country; The Unemployment. Board had hitherto had no ■ opportunity of drafting out men' suit-, able and deserving for this. work. - ■ Inefficient men had far too long been paid the same s as. efficient and deserving ones.Some might say that this-farm would ultimately be a waste asset, but there would always be some unemployed, ft In the farm' camp the less useful men could at "leist. : contribute. to their own" costs.;'; Men on. : this farm would have no claims on any (other form of relief. Unemployment mustb discouraged, and if men found that'tdimprove their position they must vworlc well they would gradually work theicway; off the farm-to other jobs. ..ft .- - . SCHEME SUPPORTED, ft Mr. J. .Cocker (Elthain)' supported.Mr.ft Franklin's scheme; There was a;danger,; however, of taking men away from their regular employment, which they might - find it difficult to return toft Such'farnis were in use in Germany, and the men were doing national service. The . difficulty might be got over by having farm. camps near, some of the smaller- centres,-all -of which had their share offtunemployment. The purchase of the farms would involve & serious cost, but the reconditioning of the land would be worth while. Mr. A. Campbell (Feilding) refeiredito a Palmerston North scheme, which it wa».. decided to,refer to the sub-committee \ to be set ftup to report, on Mr. Franklin* scheme. Mr. M. G. Trotter (Stratford), said that a; point' was" missed iv Mr. Franklin!- ■".' scheme: the utilisation of the .'increasing." younger class of unemployed in the ope* ing up of .the land. Y6uths ; from-16.:tal 18 would easily be moulded ■ satisfactorily to the worki■-. Mr. E.H. Murney (Tapanui) raised .the question of the position; of., men discharged from trades owing to slackness. ■ If the portion continued, their places, .would ultimately be taken ft by.. much. younger men. More should be,"done for ; such men than was outlined; in,', the. schemes. If the men were classified, the useful sorts could be settled, not merely temporarily employed, on the land/ : The sum of £500,000 could.be earmarked for good quality land, housing, ft and ■ their gradual bringing into production, piwducts' at present insufficiently exported.: .Hope would at least be held out to these-men. . Mr. W. R. Hammond (Canterbury) said.,, that Mr. Murney's scheme looked - rather like the establishment of ft a; ftfaraing. peasantry. Those who had seen; that else-. where did not wish it brought inhere. "ft '' A delegate said that in Englandftthe same kind of thing had been in force for years, but they did not call them fami camps, but workhouses. The establishment of any system by which a body'of men wasftencouraged to look permanently; to State support was undesirable. : It was pointed out by others that before such: a scheme could be initiated, the Arbitration Court must be abolished. If that came about some of these men could.be employed in secondary industries. Many' of. them would be useless on farms. The question of purchase of land, it was thought," would be against a scheme. Mr. H. Morrison. (Wangabui) supported Mr. Franklin's scheme. Free labour, was given■ local bodies under the No. 5 scheme, .why not to farmers, who-would belighti ening the burden of ratepayers. " Mr. Franklin's scheme was referred.fca a committee.. , . "