SCHOOLBOY SETTLERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20586, 8 December 1928, Page 7

SCHOOLBOY SETTLERS.

WAITAKI SCHOOL SCHEME. TWO YEARS’ TRAINING, (From 6ur Own Correspondent.) LONDON, October 25. When the - Government decided; to take no more assisted male emigrants, the Public. Schools Employment Bureau (of which Mr W. A.. Bulkeley-Evans is organiser) found themselves deprived of one of their best fields, of operation. A large proportion of the boys who wished to go overseas naturally desired to make New Zealand their .home. Some sort, of compromise has been arrived at. so that a number of boys in ay still migrate, to the Dominion, but they will spend a year or two at Waitaki High School before they take.up work on the land. The scheme seems to 1 have found concrete form last April. Mr F. Milner (headmaster of .Waitaki) and Mr Bulke-ley-Evaus had been in correspondence for a considerable time, and- in the month mentioned .Mr Milner made certain} suggestions which the Public Schools .Employment Bureau have gladly adopted.. By the Hprorata on December 21 gome 14 or IS boys will sail for S'ew Zealand to become pupils at Waitaki School, taking a one-year or two-year course of agricultural training before engaging in farm practice. The boys are eligible for assisted passages provided they undertake to remain five years in New Zealand. In the course of a letter to Mr Bulke-ley-Evans Mr Milner explained that the boarding and tqiticw fees would be £OS per annum, and the cost of outfit from £2O to £25. Another £0 a term would be needed for pocket money. “With reference to the question-of supervision and responsibility for placing the boy in a satisfactory position,” Mr Milner wrote, "thTs obligation devolves upon myself. The school has an extensive clientele pf well-to-do farmers in fhe South Island, and I have excellent opportunities of placing a boy in a good position where he can learn the special branch, of farming-in. which he is interested. Moreover, among the 200 boarders of this school, there is always si large proportion who come from sheep stations and farms. I* l will be recognised that association with these boys in studios and practical be the finest possible agency in acclimatising British migrants to New Zealand conditions." PRACTICAL WORK.

On the question of training, Mr Milner says:—

“ I propose that whatever boys come out tinder this scheme shall have the opportunity of carrying out practical work with approved farmers in the vicinity of the school during both short vacations. There will be no charge for -board and residence of such pupils during any of the three vacations. It must be distinctly understood. that if during the period of their stay at this school they are paid any wages by farmers.in addition to board and residence, such payments are to be held by me in trust for the lads and not to be expended by them personally. They, will probably not .obtain _ any wages in the 7 short vacations, but in the long vacation their -work will probably justify' such payment. When they leave my school and are placed' with farmers, they will probably receive 10s in addition to their board and residence for the first year, as, .is the case with the British boys placed out by the "Government Immigration Department. After the first year they will re-, ceive such wages as their work justifies in the opinion of the employing farmer.In the very remote contingency of no,'consecutive outside employment of a satisfactory nature being available for the boy in any of the vacations, he shall' lie .entitled to stay at the school • with ’free board and residence, but will be ex--pected to do practical work of a light character, on the school farm, ‘such as milking, feeding stock and attending to experimental plots.” Mr Milner also accepts the responsibility of keeping in touch, with boys after leaving the and to act generally in loco parentis. FAREWELL DINNER.

The greatest, interest in the scheme will naturally be taken by old boys of the school. That this is so is demonstrated by the fact that the secretary of the re-cently-formed Waitaki Old Boys’ Association of Great Britain has ..written to Mr Bulkeley-Evans to-, see if a fafewell dinner can be arranged for the young I settlers on the eve • of tlmir departure from London. . Mr Bulkeley-Evans ■is naturally very favourable to the idea and will do his utmost to make the desired arrangement. The following are the names of the boys selected and the schools from tvhich they come:— ' C. 11. B. Irwin (St. Edmund’s School, Canterbury),. G. C. M. Bishop (St: Helen’s College,. Southsea)-, G A. FfrertchBeytagh (Bristol Grammar ..School), G. J. Hosier (Elizabeth College, Guernsey), A. J. Edwards (Portsmouth Grammar School), V. R. Waldron (Clifton College), G. B. Waldron (Clifton College), E. H. T. Williams (Llandovery College), G. Eawlnison (Monkton Combe School H. M. Edgington (Ecole des Roches, J. L. Ley (Ipswich SchoolL J. Pavoy (Felsted School).