MOST ACUTE HUMAN PROBLEM

Horowhenua Chronicle, 22 December 1932, Page 6

MOST ACUTE HUMAN PROBLEM

* BINDING WORK FOR* UNEMPLOYED BOYS. MUST GO ON~THE LAND. WELLINGTON, Last Night. The. conclusions reached by Messrs A. E. Ansell, M.P. for Chalmers, and fcJ. G. Smith, M.P. for New Plymouth, as the result of their recent investigation of the juvenile, unemployment problem are . contained in a comprehensive re-, port which they have prepared dealing with many phases of the subject. The report has already been submitted to Cabinet and a precis of it together with the recommendations made was released to-day.

After pointing out that secondary industries offered slender chances for the absorption of boys the committee considers agriculture offers the most promising field for the employment of young men and a land settlement scheme is recommended whereby Crown land would be developed by suitable young men who would ultimately become settlers. During its investigations the committee noted the very definite aversion of the average boy to take up farming pursuits.

In discussing the educational bias which has led boys away from the land the committee mentions that whereas languages and mathematics in the senior free place examination enabled the candidate to receive 400 marks lor each subject, the maximum marks for chemistry, botany and agriculture were only 200/ It is suggested that the latter should carry the same 'pass marks as language subjects.

"We are convinced that this problem is one of the most vital facing the people of New Zealand to-day and is in fact the mobi acute human problem with which this generation has been called upon to deal," state Messrs Smith and Ansell after expressing high appreciation of the public-spirited effort which has already led to a measure of success. ,

They give figures indicating what has already been done and\ the extent of the remaining problem. These figures show that the boys registered as unemployed total 5908, of this number 2850 have been placed in employment, the classification being as follows: —

Placed on farms. •'. - ' jii<s Placed in trade 421 Placed in shops and offices .. 593 Miscellaneous 644 This leaves a total of 3044 still on the unemployed roll. "These unemployed boys are the nation's greatest asset and the responsibility for dealing with this problem, is one .which concerns every citizen.! It is not a task that <can or should be I borne by the Government, but is one that essentially attaches itself outside the parent to local organisations and individual citizens. As a result of our inquiries we are convinced that an organised, committee of citizens (representative of every walk in life) in various centres can deal most effectively with the problem. There is no comparable substitute'' The report' recommends that in each centre where the problem exists there should be established a general council representing the citizens and representative of all interests and dealing with matters of policy and extension of activities. Working in close association with the general council should be an executive committee consisting of the convenors of sub-committees which should undertake special duties. The activities of the sub-committees should cover: ' (1; Physical development. , (2) General educational development. (3) Vocational and pre-voeational development. (4) Athletic development. (5) Social development.

' ' An especially distressing feature of the problem," states the committee, "is the large number of apprentices who have uncompleted periods of Apprenticeship contracts and who are now unemployed for reasons either that there is no work or training in shops or factories where they were employed or their employers, either individuals or firms, have gone out of. business on account of the general trade depression." It is pointed out that unless a remedy is found a most serious condition will arise when trade hecomes normal and the demand for skilled men increases because skilled men will then have to he im-

ported. For unskilled workers the normal solution is work, but if there .is none available a substitute must be found. Technical training can provide a stepping stone to regular employment 'when industry revives. The country may not at present be abie to employ these boys but it can still less afford to let them drift. A eareful investigation of the opportunities for boys in town occupations iwas made by the committee who declare that at no time in the history of New Zealand had commerce and industry offered such slender chances for the absorption. of boys on c6mpleting their school life. The eommmee stresses the importance of land occupations in view of" New, Zealand's almost complete financial dependence on returns frojn the exported products of the land.' Various organisations working for the. welfare of workiessv boys have been able to place a number 1 of boys on farms,,.but it is considered something further should be done for them in order that "they might ulti-j mately become established as farmers rather than remain firm workers. The time lias arrived for evolving ai i definite land settlement scheme wnere-

by young men who have completed their course at an agricultural college or agricultural high school and have obtained a certificate ot approver rrom such colleges or schools and who have worked for a period of less than two years on a farm or station and have shown by their diligence and competency that they will prove to be efficient farmers shall be given every encouragement and facility to make good and ultimately become farmers themselves instead of remaining , farm workers or seeking other avenues of employment.

Such a scheme would be the means of placing oh the land the most desirable and efficient type of farmer and would prove an incentive to boys to enter an agricultural life, thus ultimately creating a national asset which could "not be too highly assessed.