BOYS UPON FARMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21935, 19 October 1934, Page 15

BOYS UPON FARMS

/ TRAINING AT RUAKURA REFRESHER COURSE SCHEME , APPROVAL OF THE BOARD / A scheme for providing boys working on farms with a refresher course in agriculture at the Ruakura State Farm has been approved by the Unemployment Board and the Department of Agriculture, according to advice received by the i Auckland Boys' Employment Committee yesterday. The scheme provides for 50 selected bovs to receive a fortnight's training at Ruakura, probably next June. The Unemployment Board has signified its willingness to pay reasonable travelling expenses in addition, to 5s a, week to each boy as pocket money and a total of to provide for a fortnight's upkeep of a party of at least 50. It was considered that the training provided should prove of inestimable value to boys who had been placed on farms by the committee, and who had shown aptitude for the work. It was not anticipated that there would be any difficulty in selecting: 50 boys. A letter front the Minister of Lands, in answer to an inquiry from the committee, stated that there was no prospect of extending the small farms scheme to include young men and youths wishing to go on the land. There was such a keen demand for small farms by unemployed families that the pro- / posal was not practicable. OPPORTUNITIES FOR WORK / y THE POSITION IMPROVING The fact that there are noAv more openings for boys for employment in both town and country—more particularly the town —was mentioned by Mr. N. G. Gribble, secretary of the Auckland Boys' Employment Committee, at a meeting of the committee yesterday. Mr. Gribble said the committee at present had six city positions on its books, and had not the boys to fill them. There had been a distinct improvement in / the labour market for boys, and employers in the city were now offering wages ranging from 10s to £1 10s a week. There had been no requests lately for boys who were willing to work for 5s a week, and this in it- , self was a most encouraging sign. For positions in the country, farmers wgre offering boys from 5s to £1 a week, in addition to their keep. "The jobs which are being offered in the city now seem to have some degree of permanence attached to them," Mr. Gribble said, "and are not merely a means of providing a boy with a few weeks' casual employment. Small manufacturing businesses are growing up, each employing about three or four hands, and the employers generally want a boy in addition. There is also quite a demand for boys in the plumbing trade. "The standard of work and the remuneration offered are much better than they were a few months ago, and x the general working conditions are much improved. The only cause for regret at present is that we have not got sufficient boys to fill the jobs offering. It is to be hoped the demand for . boys will still be in evidence when the close of the school year puts a large number in search of work."