CITY BOYS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIX, Issue 64, 2 March 1929, Page 7

CITY BOYS

ENTICING THEM TO THE LAND EMPLOYMENT ON FARMS. OUTLINE OF NEW SCHEME. Stratford, March 1. Following on a discussion at the last meeting of the Dominion Farmers’ Union, a report has been prepared by the Under-secretary of Labour and the Dominion secretary of the union for consideration by tho provincial executives of the union. The Dominion president (Mr W. J. Polson, M.P.) has handed an outline of the report to the press, so that farmers may express opinions upon it before it is finished by the union. Tho report states that large numbers of boys in towns who have recently left school find difficulty in getting employment. Inquiries show that town employers now employ a fair proportion of boys in skilled trades. The usual proportion employed is, on the average, of one apprentice to three journeymen. It r recognised that the general state of trade and openings for workers in town business depend largely on tho exports of farm produce for which the, market, may be regarded as unlimited. It is the intention of the Government to provide additional facilities for the development of farm ing industries, including tho settlement of larger numbers of people on the land and it is desired to encourage employment on farms of as many workers, including boys from school, as possible. To this end, arrangements are proposed by which the Farmers’ Union will co-operate with the Labour Department in finding employment on farms for boys and adults. No fees or other charges will bo made in this scheme. It is desired to urge on farmers thq ucsirability of taking boys under apprenticeship contracts. Such contracts may be entered into under the Amended Master and Apprentice Act of 1920. TERM OF APPRENTICESHIP Term of apprenticeship shall be as agreed on, say. three years, with an optional probationary period of three months, to decide on the apprentice’s suitability before tho contract becomes binding. The contract shall set out a branch of farming to bo taught and tho wages for the first year, say 10s a week ami found. During tho remainder of the term tho wages shall be those usually [>aid boys of the same age. Provision is made for arbitration.

On this point the contract may provide that the apprentice shall agree that portion of the wages (say half) shall be deposited with a Government official and invested to the credit ot the apprentice. This would provide the apprentice with part of the amount required if he should desire to acquire a small farm of his own, and also ensure compliance with the terms of apprenticeship. A boy would be allowed the usual holidays, including an annual holiday. Tho employer is recommended to insure the boy against liability, under the Workers’ Compensation Act. The estimated insurance premiums would be £1 14s for every £lOO wages paid. Each provincial executive of tho Farmers’ Union will appoint two of its members to act on a committee with a representative of the Labour Department. This committee will deal with all question arising relating to boys in its district, and will endeavour to see that varous conditions ot the apprenticeship contracts are complied with on both sides. THE GROUP SYSTEM. The ultimate objective of this attempt at the absorption of New Zea lunu boys is settlement by them of land, including some of the pumice lands of the thermal districts, some of the gum lands of the Auckland Peninsula and some present unsettled land. Tho Government will be asked to give the group system of settlement a good tryout with these boys, by putting a group on a suitable block of land. The boys would work under the direction of an experienced supervisor until the block would be subdivided among the boys who had worked it and purchased it.from tne Government under a 36 year mortgage system, at a reasonable price after each section had been loaded with shares of the eost of manures, etc. During the period the boy had been working for the Lands Department he would receive £2 a week, half to be banked. The Lands Department will ba asked to finance the boys, as under me Disabled Soldier Settlemer.t Act, ’o enable them to erect dwellings, fences, etc., and purchase stock under the supervision of the department II is also proposed to o'tablsh fx’m schools on selected fa’.os, under the control of a competent authority, where certain boys will, by arrangement with local farmers, work upon the farms and become ultimately eligible to take up land under smiliar conditions.

It is apparent, concludes the report, that some concessions, as aro outlined above, will have to offered io entice our boys from tho cities.