TRAINING FARMERS

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11705, 18 December 1923, Page 4

TRAINING FARMERS

SONS OF BRITISH SEAMEN j IMPORTANT PROJECT BEGUN BY ( TRUSTEES OP FUND. "STRICTLY PRACTICAL." The large sums subscribed by New Zealand sheep-farmers during the war in acknowledgment of the services of British seamen, are to be partly expended in an important undertaking for the emigration of English boys and in training them as farmers in New Zealand. The project was explained at a meeting of the trustees of the fund last week. “It has throughout been realised," stated the trustees in their annual report, "that the largest field for the operations of the fund is in England, and that the whole of the money at the disposal of the trustees could be disbursed there to genuine and deserving cases. At the same time the trustees are convinced that the desire of the contributors would be, after dealing generously with all cases of seamen in New Zealand who had become disabled during the war, and of dependents in New Zealand of seamen who had lost their lives during the war, and after relieving the urgent cases which are brought to the notice of the London advisory committee, to utilise the corpus of the fund in a way which would be to the great benefit of the dependents of the gallant seamen of the British Navy and mercantile marine for whom the money was given, and at the same time be particularly identified with New Zealand sheep-farmers PRACTICAL TRAINING. "With this policy in view the trustees more than a year ago affirmed the principle of devoting a considerable portion of the available funds at their disposal for the purpose of bringing out to New Zealand eons and daughters of seamen who had been killed or had been disabled during the war, and, after preliminary training under the trustees' supervision in the essentials of New Zealand farm work, establishing them with suitable farmers in New Zealand where they will receive thorough and practical training and friendly and sympathetic surroundings, eventually assisting the boys to acquire farms of their own in this country. "The London advisory committee is strongly in favour of the proposition, and the trustees being satisfied that the typo of boys which can be secured under the proposals are such that they will make good, and be a credit to New Zealand and themselves, have decided that no time should be lost in carrying the matter to a successful conclusion, limiting the scheme at first to hoys only Steps are being taken to acquire a suitable property where the hoys will receive preliminary training for six months, and after being taught to ride, drive, milk, plough, kill, repair fences, plant trees, etc., will he available for employment by suitable farmers approved by the trusteee, preference being given to subscribers to the fund. "It i* hoped, when the operations of the scheme are in full working order that 50 hoys will ho available every three months, and the London advisory committee has been asked to take the initial steps for the selection of the first lot of boys . . MORE INTEREST NEEDED. The Hon; Edward; Newman, who presided at the meeting, said they had had several farms offered to them, but so far had been unable to obtain anything suitable. In the meantime, the High Oammissionor wag on the look out for suitable hoys andi girls at Home to send out. After th« hoys had been six months at this farm, they would be sent out on private farms, part of the wages being given to them, and the rest kept to form a fund to Set them up later in farms of their own. The success of the plan depended very largely on the interest taken by tile farmers in the boys after they left the training farm. There were ov.-r 2000 farmers who had subscribed to thj fund, but very little was ever heard from them. It migjit be taken as a tribute to th 9 trusteee, but he would like to sea a little more interest displayed. PRBLIMINERY TRAINING. Mr G. L Marshall saidl he thought that six months on the training farm would lie insufficient; twelve months would be better. The chairman said that there was no hard and fast time. The farm would be more in the nature of a receiving department, where the boys would get a preliminary training, and would, moreover, be given an opportunity of indicating what branch of farming they wanted to follow. The real training would be imparted later by the farmers to whom they were apprenticed for throe years. PRINCIPLE APPROVED. Mr O. S. Watkins movedl that the principle of bringing out the hoys be approved, that the committee take steps to put the scheme into operation. Mr J. Greig seconded the motion, saying that the scheme was undoubtedly a good one, but a great deal depended on the administration of the farm because they all knew how easy it was to fritter away money. Mr Watkins said that the idea was to get a partly improved farm, on which all classes of work, such as clearing, draining, fencing and all sorts of agricultural and pastoral Work would be car. ried out. The boys would then be able to get training in all branches of work, and would, in addition, bo adding to the value of the land as time went on. WORK OP INSTRUCTION. Tile chairman said that on the farm there would bo employed permanent hands, such as a ploughman, a shepherd, a dairyman, who would be paid a little more than ordinary, hut who, In return, would ho expected! to take an interest in the instruction of the boys. This would involve, it was true, considerable outlay on wages, but the oommittee was determined to conduct the place on strictly practical lines, and above all, to make the farm pay. The motion was carried.