BOY EMPLOYMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 48, 26 February 1934, Page 10

BOY EMPLOYMENT

WORK ON FARMS

[PLACEMENTS POSSIBLE

LIVING CONDITIONS

•JA." meeting of the Young Men's Christian Association Boy Employment Committee; was held today, Mr. W. A. Armour presiding in the absenco of Mr. E. H. Nimmo.

Mr. W. A. Cuiniuing, Child Welfare Officer,.Timaru, who was present by invitation, said that at Timaru the problems with' regard to toy employment were similar to those existing in Wellington. One of the chief difficul-' ties was pla.cing boys without' experience on farms. In many instances the conditions on farms were 110? attractive: Sqme boys got 5s a week, and in. such cases the boys had often only 2s 6d a week left after meeting small expenses. Mr,"W. Appleton said that during, his recent visit to England and Scotland he had studied what was being done in connection with boy employment in those countries.. He intended to prepare a report on the question and furnish it to the committee. The secretary (Mr. Len J. Greenberg) reported that for tho1 two months January and February thero had been 163 placements. The registration figure stood;at 494. THE PROBLEM. A lamentable aspect of the economic breakdown,. and a very serious factor in the situation confronting the youth of the Dominion, was the problem of juvenile unemployment, particularly as affecting older lads, 17 to 20 years of age,, said the secretary. ■ : There was, of;course, a demand, more or less-con-tinuously, for; younger "boys, who had just left school, and the increasing tendency amongst city employers was to engage these younger lads, while entirely leaving out of .consideration the older lads. The plight of the oldor lads_ cajled .for. sympathetic and immediate ". treatment. , Many, of them possessed ■matriculation and ■ higher leaving qualifications, but, they had never had a chance of marketing thoir services. ■-■'■. FARM WORK NOT POPULAK. ■ It had been said time and again that the .outlook, for. many of these older and younger lads should ,be towards the land.-;: The majority of boys applying at tho office of the committee were definitely unwilling; to go to the country. This was chiefly because of a long-standing prejudice in the minds of parents- concerning labour and living conditions in the country, and'the alleged' lack- of any real' prospects for the future. It could be stated quite definitely that the majority of the lads placed in > rural through the agency of the Wellington committee- had found' satisfactory placements on farms. What had -been demonstrated by th&' committee,' both as the result of iits farm placement Scheme 'and its Penrose agricultural training camp, was that city boys could be.-weaned from the allurements of the city and induced to settle down in the country. It had been said on good authority in: some quarters that, in connection with our educational and training undertakings a : more pronounced appeal ; might be made-to city'lads in the direction of encouraging them to. think in terms of taking-.up positions directly or indirectly connected with the land. Possibly many more New Zealand boys would choose farming' careers when there were more adequate opportunities, for* training, ■.'-.' satisfactory placement after .training, and the subsequent acquisition of holdings of their own. ■'■ NOT HABDENED WORKERS. . In the- meantime" something, might be done in the country to attract city boys. An analysis of the situation, as affecting the employment of city boys on farms, according to the experience of the Wellington committee, brought to; light certain defects on the . employers', side, ;many of'which should not be beyond. i remedy. In the first place, it should be realised by the farmer that the boy whose services he usually obtained from the city was-not ailiardened -son of the soil. -He could not immediately stand up to the physical demands,'and it would be wrong, therefore, to-tro'at him as if ho were a fully-fledged farm labourer. _ It was essential that provision should be; made for' suitable margins of rest and "leisure, and opportunities for change; and recreation, for boys working on.farms. In'the employment of boys plain, human: considerations should be the ; governing factors, and not mere necessity. Farm work would not; prove attractive to city boys until the feeling that they must work unceasingly from daylight to dark was dispelled. The committee did not wish to have any rigid labour conditions laid down, name,ly,; hours of work; as such would be impracticable in the farming industry; and farmers could obviate any need for these conditions by using elasticity of treatment' with" these boys to permit of recreation 'at suitable times. ■ ' LIVING CONDITIONS. A 1 little thoughtfulness in the provision of desirable living conditions would greatly help in holding city boys to farms. Where? boys wefc employed, a little-judicious caro and solicitous help on the part of the farmer's wife would greatly assist in giving a boy the settled feeling,'and the average boy or youth quvlskly responded to good' treatment. Tne manner in whi<!h a boy was looked,after on. a farm—to the extent at :least of giving him rest, iuterest, and developing his; self-respect—would quickly reflect on his :work. ' . .:■ ' Not the least.among the matters desiring the attention' of the farmer employer, . said , Mr. Greenberg, was the question of, stabilising employment as far as boys were concerned. It had been found that boys responded better when circumstances permitted of a graduated scale .of work, in which a reasonable- opportunity was given for them ■, to learn,' commencing with elementary things, and working ■up to the more difficult, operations. In addition, wages shouH be paid regularly— monthly. or weekly—and the boy encouraged.in habits of thrift. It Would greatly help, also, if the temporary, or seasonal^aspect of juvenile farm labour could-be eliminated by the retention of lads-during the whole.year. , The existence of an army of juvenile casual farm labourers whoso; services were in demand during the season but who were left to.roam And to do little during the off season was not good for the boys themselves, and certainly was not in the best interests- of the community., , CONDITIONS TO BE ADOPTED. Summarising, the desirable conditions which:wc.ro approved by the committee, Mr. Greenberg stated them as follows:— ;1. A reasonable wage, paid regularly when, due. ■ ... 2/Fare paid to the job. '■••3: iWholesomo living conditions and friendly counsel. . , .; 4. Special efforts to train tho boy and interesthim in tho possibilities of life in-tho country. • On the other hand, the boy should be informed of certain obligations required •in the;direction of giving his best possible service to the employer, and generally making the best of himself while on the f ami.

The report of the general secretary was adopted,, and it was decided, \to circulate, printed copies to farmers,