EMPLOYMENT OF BOYS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21276, 1 September 1932, Page 14

EMPLOYMENT OF BOYS

PUBLIC APPEAL FOR FUNDS SUM OF £SOOO TO BE SOUGHT CAMP AT ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE An appeal is shortly to be made to tlio public by tbc Auckland Boys' Employment Coniniitleo for the purpose of raising the sum of £SOOO, the amount which the committee estimates it will require to expend during the current year in its efforts to place even a reasonable proportion of unemployed youths in suitable employment. 'l'he decision to launch the appeal was made at the meeting of the executive yesterday. it was officially reported to the committee that the camp at St. John's College for the initial training of boys for farm work had been established and that the boys wero doing good work. It was hoped that with the completion of the largo building next week it would be possible to have 10 boys on the property. It was reported that so far this .month I JI boys had been placed in employment, 61 being sent to farms and 30 to positions in tho city.

The chairman, Mr. N. G. Gribble, reported that ho was endeavouring to arrange for the lease of a building suitable for the- establishment of the proposed kindling wood factory. There would be room for a large number of boys. It was proposed to run a messenger service in conjunction with the factory, so that the boys engaged in running messages for clients would not bo idle between jobs, but would assist at tho factory. It was hoped to start tho factory within a week. A communication was received from the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, in which His Excellency expressed his gratification at the progress already made by the committee.

It was reported by the chairman that 50 boys were already enrolled for instruction in trades at the Seddon Memorial Technical College and there were applications from 60 more who were desirous of attending classes. These classes were costing the committee nothing as the college authorities were straining their resources to make this free tuition possible. Ho felt that the number attending would be greater but for the fact that many parents could not afford to find tram fares for the boys, while some boys who were without good clothes were reluctant to go to the college in shabby attire. However, the committee had made arrangements with the Auckland Transport Board for tho issue of tickets at a reduced price to boys it> necessitous circumstances.

Encouraging reports on the progress of boys already sent to work on farms in the province were received from the Child Welfare Department", which had undertaken to assist the committee by rendering this service. It was stated that the committee's own organisation for keeping in touch with the boys was now almost ready and would shortly take over the task.

NUMBER WITHOUT WORK STATEMENT TO BE PREPARED The opinion that tho figures given by Mr. S. G. Srnitli, M.P., relating to the probable number of boys unemployed in the Dominion were very misleading was expressed at a meeting of the Auckland Boys' Employment Committte yesterday. Mr. Smith stated in Wellington recently that, on tho figures available, the problem was not as huge as some people made it out to be, and he contradicted a statement, which ho said had been mado to the effect that 20.000 boys who left school at the end of last year were now unemployed. Mr. Smith had given the figure as 2902. Tho chairman of tho committee, Mr. N. G. Gxibble, thought that if Mr. Smith's figures were multiplied by seven or eight ho would b 0 nearer tho real figure. During the past year alone 1175 boys had registered as unemployed with the committee.

Mr. A. G. Lunn was of the opinion that Mr. Smith had been referring to»the boys who had left school this year. As showing that Mr. Smith had obviously under-stated the position, Mr. E. E. Kitchener quoted from a return of unemployed boys who had registered with the Y.M.C.A. for a portion of the Dominion for tho year ended July 30, 1932. The total actually registered was shown as 2897, but the return covered the towns of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Gisborne, Masterton, Wanganui, Timaru and Nelson. This omitted Dunedin and the mass of small towns, yet the total figure given was almost as great as that quoted by Mr. Smith, and it wa s not to bo supposed that all tho boys unemployed had registered with the Y.M.C.A. Mr. Smith's figures were so misleading that the committee's operations would be hampered if they were not corrected. It was decided to prepare a statement showing tlie actual position.