WORK FOR BOYS

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 13, 16 July 1934, Page 10

WORK FOR BOYS

POSITIONS ON FARMS

A SCHEME PREPARED

OUTLINE OF PROPOSALS

A scheme to provide unemployed boys with work on farms has been prepared by the Wellington Boy Employment Committee. Details of the scheme have been submitted to the Unemployment Board. The • seli'cmo will be discussed at another meeting of the Boy Employment Committee.

OBJECTS STATED.

The objects of the scheme are snt out as follows:;—

1. To attract city boys to country life. ■ " ■

2. To relieve the conditions of juvenile unemployment in the city, especially among older boys.

3. To provide a brief, intensive period of training in farm elementaries, sufficient to remove the "strangeness" of country life from, the experience of the city boy; to afford him ah opportunit of a brief breaking-in period prior to his employment on a farm, and to render him a greater economic value on a farm than he otherwise would have been had he not had the advantage of such introductory training. As a result, of the training, also, boys will be rendered more physically fit to lake up farm employment.

4. To bring unemployed boys under wholesome discipline and a period of training in character building and good citizenship.

5. To provide a continuous recruiting centre for boys for farms.

PLAN OF ORGANISATION.

The plan provides for four phases of organisation—recruiting, introductory training, employment-, and follow-up on farms.

Provided a sufficient number of boys are offering, the introductory training centre is to continue for six months, from October, 1934, to March, 1935. An arrangement is to be entered into with tho trustees of the Wairarapa training farm for the purpose. ° Relays 0f.25 boys will bo taken iuto camp for a period of approximately tour weeks' introductory training Boys obtaining the "0.X." of the training centre will be allocated to positions, and as far as possible "followed up" in those positions'. The introductory training schedule is to mclude'milking (hand and machine) use of more commonly used implements and tools, fencing, draining, etc, handling horses and sheep, farm elementaries and,routine, and simple lectures by officers of the Agricultural Department and local farmers.

CO-OPERATION TO BE SOUGHT.

The services-and support of the following organisations, departments, and constituencies are proposed to be enlistedGovernment Unemployment Board (finance and general assistance)- Boy i-niployment Committee, under whose auspices the training centre will be conducted; trustees, Wairarapa Training Farm,-whose property will be used as the training centre; V.M.C.A., whose officers,' in co-operation, with the permanent, farm manager, will actually manage and control the centre on behalf of the committee; Department of Agriculture (lecturers and general guidance); nearby farmers and training farm staff (instruction of the boys)citizens of Wellington and Wairarapa tor general support, including gifts in kind, provision of entertainment, and amenities'for the boys; farmers generally, for absorption of boys after training; Public Works and Defence Departments, for use of equipment; district clergy and Women's-Division of Dominion -Farmers' Union, for "follow-up" services in co-operation with committee; and'district doctors, medical and health purposes.

6. Tho daily routine of the centre is to be conducted on a similar basis to the previous "Penroso" camps. Most, of tho day will be given to practical work on tho training farm, or with nearby farmers, with adequate opportunity for rest and recreation. Two lectures will be given weekly by officers of the Department of Agriculture, and citizenship talks, concerts, sportsl and cinema entertainments will be included weekly. The boys will carry out necessary fatigue' duties. Divine service oh Sundays is provided for.

CONDITIONS,

It will be a condition on all boys entering the training centre that, provided they are deemed suitable and work can be found for them, they will definitely take up farming at the conclusion of their training. The enrolment will not be restricted to Wellington boys. Recruits will be taken from any centre in the Dominion and special provision made for a quota of Wairarapa boys. The boys will pay their own fares to and from the training centre. The committee reserves the right to reject any application or to terminate •the training of any boy without notice or without necessarily giving any reason. ■ "* The question of liability for accident iS to be gone into and legislated for ac-. cordingly. The personnel of the general scheme, not including matters appertaining to training farm property, consists of the chairman, Wellington Boy Employment Committee, as president, the farm subr committee of" Wellington. Boy Employment Committee as executive, and the general secretary, V.M.C.A., as superintendent. _^^^^^^^^^^^^