LAND GIRLS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 198, 22 July 1926, Page 4

LAND GIRLS

FLOCK HOUSE TRAINING SCHEME. GOVERNOR-GENERAL OPENS / -, awapi/ni: hostel. “EDUCATION IN IMMIGRATION.” i ■ ■' »' ;' “Of all the war memorials which have been planned and put into being, this scheme of the New Zealand Sheepowners’ Fund appeals to me most. It is indeed a fine memorial to those who have laid down their lives in the service of their country. It is # a practical memorial destined to shape the lives of those young people who are left behind.” These remarks were made by the Governor-General (Sir Charles Fergusson) when he yesterday performed the official opening of the Awapuni hostel where English girls are being trained in agricultural pursuits under the New Zealand Sheepowners’ Fund scheme.

The programme outlined in the “Standard” yesterday from the time of arrival of Their Excellencies was carried out. Following the luncheon provided by the girls, the members of the Y.W.C.A. ladies’ hostel committee were presented to Sir Charles and Lady Fergusson and the hostel and buildings were inspected. Later the girls were assembled on the steps in front of the building and inspected by Their Excellencies, who chatted informally with them. “A LEAD FOR GOVERNMENT.” The first to speak at the opening ceremony proper was the Mayor (Mr F. J. Nathan) who commenced by saying that it was a privilege and a pleasure to extend a welcome to Their Excellencies and to have the opportunity of expressing gratification that they had consented to perform the ceremony which occasioned the gathering. It was indeed a pleasure to all concerned to see that Their Excellencies were taking such a keen personal interest in the schemes of the Sheepowners’ Fund.

“In this very matter-of-fact world of ours it is a pleasure to meet an organisation the purpose of which is to show gratitude for service performed by other citizens of the Empire,” stated the Mayor. The citizens of New Zealand; he added, were deeply appreciative of the efforts of the gentleman who formed this trust and equally appreciative of the objects which it had in view. The administrators of the fund had blazed the trail, and it was to him a matter of wonderment that the Government had not followed in some way the example of practical immigration afforded by the Flock House schemes. While admitting that New Zealand had a forward and progressive immigration system, it was desirable where so much land awaited development to bring it into production to educate, immigrants as the Sheepowners’ Fund was doing! to effect that. The idea appeared to him to bring out young people from England, educate and teach them how to take hold of that land and, with Government assistance, make a success of it.

It was manifestly impossible to put untrained men on the land and expect them to do well. The call 'was for young immigrants of a receptive age who could be taught, and the Government could well give consideration to this in the near future. Mr Nathan expressed the hope that Their Excellencies would on some future occasion again visit both the Awapuni hostel and Flock House at Bulls.

WHAT EUND HAS DONE. A brief history of the Sheepowners’ Fund was given by the chairman of trustees (Hon. Edward Newman, M.L.C.) who, after apologising for the absence of Mrs Newman, proceeded to mention that originally the wool owners of had subscribed nearly a-quarter of a million pounds to form a fund to aid men of the British navy and mercantile marinq who had been injured in war service, and also their dependants. No less than 4704 cases of incapacitated men- in England, New Zealand, and elsewhere (for the scope of the fund was Empire wide) had been assisted, £50,834 having been expended in this direction. As for the dependants, the fund had established first Elock House for the training of boys, and now the Awapuni hostel where the girls were being educated in agricultural pursuits. There was, however, a link yet to be completed—the idea of bringing out the mothers of these boys and girls, and it was hoped before long to effect something in this regard and thus reunite families from England in this young Dominion. Without the assistance of the Y.W.C.A. the trustees would indeed have found the training of the girls a problem and a deep debt of gratitude was owed to the association for its co-operation. The trustees, too, in Miss Wallace, had secured a most excellent matron in whom they had every confidence. Mr Newman acknowledged the gift of a flag from the Wellington branch of the Navy League and a flag staff presented by Mr R. D. D. McLean. •Addressing the girls, the Hon. Mr Newman expressed the hope that they would ever remain true to tho traditions of their fathers and keep loyal to tho flag and bo patriotic. They came out here under the auspices of a country organisation and it was hoped that they would continue to live in the country and not drift to the towns. The interest displayed by Their Excellencies, he assured them, was appreciated.

ADDRESS BY MR It. D. D. McLEAN,

It had been a privilege to present a flagstaff as a small token of appreciation of what was being dono at the hostel, said Mr It. D. D. McLean (Hawke’s Bay). The girls, by reason of the manner in which their fathers had served England, had good reason to be proud of their association with the Shccpownors’ Fund. Ho himself was a member of the Navy League which had a deal to do with tho rising' generation of this young country, aiming as it did that they should grow up public spirited patriotic citizens of New Zealand and the Empire. The necessity for the Navy League had often been demonstrated as when it had persuaded the Government of Britain to strengthen its naval policy at a time when a ‘'slackening off” was apparent.' “I wish you every success and hope you will have .a happy and prosperous time in New Zealand,” stated Mr McLean, who assured the trainees that Zealand took a great interest in them. ■V HIS EXCELLENCY SPEAKS. “It seems thit the hostel has opened itself very successfully the assistance of myself or Her Excellency,” were the opoiiing words of tho Governor-General. “Let mo say at once that we wanted no thanks for coming here. It was a very great pleasure to doi so and if we can'come

back again we will look forward with pleasure to doing so.” “I can think of nothing more useful or splendid than this manner of putting young people into this way of making life nappy and successful for themselves .4’ The scheme too, he added, would be of very great benefit to New Zealand itself.

He could not but express agreement with the Mayor in what he had said about the need for agricultural education. The problem to-day was not how to get immigrants or to bring them out but what to do with them when they got here. The matter of educating young people to go on the land was of immense importance. The Sheepowners’ Fund scheme, he thought, afforded a wonderful object letfson in what could be done in immigration. its success, however, was dependent upon the co-operation of at least a proportion of the population of the Dominion. The trustees’ scheme could teach the girls agriculture and what a home should be, but it was left for others when the boys and girls went out to the world to give them good homos and every assistance to make a success of life. - Addressing the girls themselves, Sir Charles expressed his pleasure at meeting here a Scottish atmosphere — he himself was a Scot. While, lie added jocularly, some of them not have the good fortune to claim Scotland as their homeland, be heartily wished every one of them success and happiness. They all had a .wonderful incentive to “make good” in this the country of their adoption—they owed it to their mothers and fathers, to their country, and to the fund which was extending them such great opportunities.

NEW ZEALAND’S EXAMPLE. “I want you to be proud of New Zealand,” continued His Excellency.. “Eighty years ago this country was bush, swamp, flax—nothing. You can see what has been done in the time—a. desert transformed into a land of great productivity. That was achieved through plenty of grit, hard work, energy, and perseverance on the part of people like yourselves who came out hero to go on the land.”

A WORD FROM HER •’ EXCELLENCY. Lady Alice briefly addressed the girls, reminding of what their mothers had suffered through tho war, and exhorting them to do their best to make up for it, by making a success of lifo out here.’ Everyone who came to New Zealand grew to love it ’ and she felt sure that those before her would do likewise. As a mother she appealed to the girls to write home regularly. “From the bottom of my heart I wish you luck,” concluded Her Excellency. At the call of Mr Newman three cheers were given for Tlioir Excellencies.