HOPE FOR YOUTH

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 12, 14 July 1931, Page 6

HOPE FOR YOUTH

New Zealand, like the rest of the world, is encountering difficulties at the present time because it bought prosperity on the instalment plan. While everything was going well the country bought whatever it could pay for and it contracted to buy what it hoped to be able to pay for. Now it has a reduced income and increased liabilities. The country generally is in the position of an individual who, on a salary of £300 a year, has arranged to spend that salary for years ahead, and now finds the salary reduced to £250; Such an individual is faced with two alternatives: he may either readjust his spending 'and surrender some of the things which he hoped to acquire, or he may mortgage his income for the future in order to keep up the payments. The country has similar alternatives before it. It'may either cling tenaciously to everything" that ■ has been acquired* and mortgage, the future to meet" the current payments, or it may adjust its spending and reduce its liabilities. While' we do not advise the panicky surrender of^ everything that has been gained,-in'the period of prosperity, 'we are 'convinced that efforts to retain everything may lead to the loss of sortie things which are most valuable. .One of the things .which we are in.danger of losing is the spirit and' enterprise of youth. To retain it we must be prepared to make other sacrifices so that youth may not lose its chance and become dispirited. Many hundreds of young men are facing trials which may murk their lives f<sr the future. The ordinary opportunities of starting in life are not open to them. Temporarily the Civil Service has stopped recruiting, most commercial houses are in a similar position, and there is little encouragement to .enter the professions. What can be done to give more hope for the young men? A dole is' not enough. The more spirited do not want it. They want to be doing something useful, and they are not particular about the pay for the time being so long as they can exist and be occupied. The problem is one which should engage the attention of all who seek the future welfare of the country. The young men cannot be drafted by hundreds into occupations where they, would' displace others. An endeavour must be made to" provide new. opportunities. 1H or this the land offers the best'prospect. We are well aware that land cannot be thrown open for development so quickly as many people imagine, «r so cheaply; but we.are convinced that the emergency warrants expenditure to accelerate development. If the Lands and Agricultural Departments, working in conjunction with the Unemployment Board, can provide the areas and expert direction, we are convinced that a call for volunteers to enter land development camps would meet with an immediate response. To be on a helpfully large scale such development would have to be carried out at the lowest possible cost —.maintenance1 and'a nominal wage —and to make this lair the workers should be credited with shares in the land developed, so that if their labours yielded a better return ultimately they would receive it. We have stipulated that the enlistments under such a. scheme should be voluntary. Let it be frankly staled: this is the best that' can be offered, but it is an opportunity — will you lake it? Hundreds of young men would gladly seize it, thankful lo be away from the disheartening idleness of the cities and to be doing something constructive. On a large scale the scheme would involve fairly heavy expenditure, as the immediate rclurn would not be great; but as the work "advanced it would, give an increasing return. 'If would-be productive, not only directly but indirectly, as ■ the resultant increase in production would give new opportunities for employment. Above all it would afford the young men scope for throwing their energies into something helpful. It would give them hope.