TRAINING FARMERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23401, 18 July 1939, Page 13

TRAINING FARMERS

YOUTHS AT RUAKURA APPRENTICESHIP ENDING AUCKLAND COMMITTEE'S WORK [from, our own cotvrkspondknt] HAMILTON, Monday The fifth annual course to be held at Ruakura under the auspices of the Auckland Youths' Farm Settlement Committee was commenced to-day, when <lO youths were enrolled for a week's training. When the committee commenced operations five years ago, its object 'was to select suitable youths, find them employment on farms and help them to secure farms of their own when their apprenticeship of five years had been completed. The boys undertook to entrust their savings to the committee, which banked them for them. In addition the Government agreed to subsidise the youths' savings, the total amount of the subsidy, with interest, being £2OO over the five years' period. Of the original group which enrolled under the scheme eight will have completed five years' service in November. At least one has accumulated £"i00, while the others have varying sums from £3OO upward. An effort is to bo made by the committee to fulfil its original intention to find suitable areas for the youths who have qualified and to finance them on terms which will ensure success Many of the 40 boys who are taking part in this week s course at .Ruakura have joined since the inauguration of the Auckland committee's scheme, and it will bo several years before they qualify. The senior members of the group are anxiously looking forward to the time when they will be able to take over farms of their own.