ASSISTING THE FARMER

Evening Star, Issue 14497, 23 February 1911, Page 3

ASSISTING THE FARMER

IMPORTED BOY LABOR. At Baldutha. tho other evening Mv I). T. ' Fleming addressed tho local branch of tho ; Farmers' League.on the abovo subject, and explained at length a scheme for bringing suitable lads from Glasgow.' We uro in- ; debted to the editor of tho ' Clutha, leader' for a report of Mr Fleming's address, from I which we make these extracts: i .So far the hulk of the boys sent out to New Zealand had been disposed of in the. North Island, but a batch of twenty had como to Otago, and as far as he wae ablo to ascertain the larmers who had got them wero thoroughly satisfied. An independent scheme had Icon in operation in Southland for some time, and something like soventyfivo boys hud been brought out and plated with fanners there. 110 happened to be in Invercnrgill when one lot of boyo arrived, and he was much interested in what be saw, and subsequently heard, of tho boys there. The. scheme "wt:a worked through the Southland Fanners' Union, and lie had written to the secretary (Mr Allan), who had given him particulars of tho working of it. The boys were cent out by some organisation in London as they were! asked for, and landed at the Bluff free of cost to the farmers. So far the boys had turned out exceedingly well, there being only two who had turned out in any way unGatisfaotory. Mr Allan, in his letter, eakl: ft" any of your fanners would like to secure some 'of ilie.so hoys, and would t,eud me an application through the secretary of tho Farmers' Union, I would put the'ir names down, and would supply them in turn, but as I have nearly titty applications hooked now vou can seo it would be some time before their turn came. Our trouble is wo cannot secure passages in the shins coming out to meet our requirements, but I may receive advice at any time of larger numbers being sent awav! Tho next lot are coining in tho Surrey (12), on February 24. l'ou can sec no definite arrangement is made on either side as to term of engagement, and there is no expense to the fanner, except we expect him to pay the railway (aro from tho Bluff to his destination.

It might In? taken for granted that the boys wore giving satisfa-otion in Southland, for, having -liiiif some experience, of them, tho appliciiLions from fanners were fifty in advance. The Otugo Provincial Kxecutive had this week, at the. suggestion of two Hi' iiib'.'is who had employed boys from England, and who spoke highly of them, decided to consult blanches and ascertain it any members, were desirous of seeming tiie services of boys pent out under an immigration scheme, and if there is a sufficient number of applicants they will take the matter in hand. The proposal in which he was most interested was a scheme to bring boys out from Glasgow. All the boys already brought out. came from London or other large cities in tiugland. There were as much'deprivation and hardship amongst I lie boy.s of Glasgow as amoirjst t!..- boys of London, and as a Scotchman the possibility of doing something to help the bovs of tho country that most of them called'their own appeal d to him. Ho Ir.id been greatly interested in reading the annual report of the Glasgow Newsboys' League. Thi<s League- was formed to pick up the boys from the streets, who earned a precarious livelihood for themselves, and peihaps for others also, as new.-dinys, to provide a homo for them, and to set them on the way to rise above- their euviionTiiont and 'to better themselves in life. After getting' beyond the newsboys" stag'e they were organised into a messenger brigade, for which there seemed to be, a big demand in Glasgow. The League guaianteed the boys' honesiy and expedition. They wero disci) lined and trained, and given a hope in life. One difficulty confronting the League was to find suitable employment for tho boys after they grew out of the messenger stage. Tho League had only been formed comparatively recently, and had not the fuu.ls to pay the passages of tiie bovs overseas. Last year situations had been found for forty of the boys in various places, at home. And it was said those boys. '• rescued from the street, were giving every satisfaction to their masters." "'Tho League appeared to be doing a good work, and the idea forced itself upon him whether the farmers here who were in need of boys would not- help their countrymen in Glasgow. Through the Barnardo Homes and otherwise people of this district had done a good deal for the toys of London. Tho question struck him whether they would not do something t-i> heln tho bovs of Ohisgov, and help themselves at the same time. Asa. step to put the matter on a favorable basis he had communicated with the Hon. T. Maokr-n/ie a.-king whether the Government would bo nrepared to act jn the mime capacity towards bovs brought from Glasgow as thcy did to bovs brought out under the Sedgwick scheme. Mr Mackenzie had replied expressing himself art much interested m what had ken said on the matter, and had referred the letter to tho .Minister of Labor, from whom a reply hail not yet tome to hand. In the case of the Sedgwick boys the organisation at Home found the passage money, it being repaid out of the wages earned'bv the Ikjvs. Tn tiie case of tho Glasgow boy?, the League had no funds for this, and the farmers requiring the boys would havo to find the passage money. The question was Would tho Government undertake to act as ward for these boys and provide for a proportion of their wages being banked for repayment of passage money? Five boys could bo brought out at £.lO each, anil, of course, if farmers liked to go on their own they could pay their £lo""ami get the boys. There could, however, be no guarantee in that case that the boys would" stop any length of time with tl'ieni, or that the £lO would bo repaid. Perhaps a sufficient number of farmwti might bo philanthropic enough t<j take any rusk there might bo in this, and lie independent of the Government, ami at tho same time help the League in its work in Glasgow. Already Mr John t'raig, of (Jwaka, had sent him £lO unconditionally, simply to assist tho scheme, and bring a boy out—he did not want a boy himself. Another farmer had authorised the speaker to count him as one of five, and he would send £lO and take a boy, and any risk there wai. while; another contributed 5s towards tho fund, or, along with othor:,, to make up £lO. Two fanners had told him they wers not in need of boys, but would willingly give £lO to bring out girls. That might be done later. It would, of course. bo seen to that the same scrutiny that was exercised towards boys btought out under the Sedgwick or other schemes would lie applied to boys brought out from Glasgow. Ho presumed there was a demand [or a cortain number of boys in this district, and he put it to thorn whether tho ease of tho (Tiasgow boys did not appeal to them. Ho saw no reason why Glasgow boys would not &uit them as well or better than London boys, and he appealed to Them whether the boys of their own country had not a special claim upon them. It was M 3 desiro to do something, to help these- who were helping the street boys of Glasgow—especially when schemes for boy immigration ottered tho opportunity. It was that which had led him to interest himself in tho matter. This was a small meeting, but the publicity might result in something being done, and tho remit from the Provincial Executive would lead to a fuller consideration of tho matter. In the meantime, the voluntary scheme wa3 open. In the diceuesion that followed -somo of tho speakers expressed strong doubts whether the boys could be kept in thoir billots for any length of time, but Mr Fleming thought that such an objection could be met by the imposition of tho 6amo conditions that applied to the Sedgwick boys. A suggestion by ono apoakor that it was only a question of time when, farmers would be brought under the operation of an Arbitration Court award, Mr Mcsley 6aid significantly: " When they try it there will be a big row, 1 can assure you."