FARMERS’ UNION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3912, 5 March 1929, Page 19

FARMERS’ UNION.

CO-OPERATION WITH LABOUR DEPARTMENT. SCHEME OF WORK FOR BOYS. STRATFORD, March 1. Following on a discussion at the last meeting of the Dominion Executive of the I armers’ Union, a report has been prepared by the Under-secretary of Labour and the Dominion secretary of the union for consideration by the provincial executives of the union. The Dominion president (Mr W. J. Polson, M.P.) has handed an outline of the report - to the press, so that farmers may express their opinions upon it before it is finished by the union.

The report states that large numbers of boys in towns who have recently left school find a difficulty in getting employment. Inquiries show that town employers now employ a fair proportion of boys in skilled trades, in which apprenticeship is usual. The proportion employed is an average of one apprentice to three journeymen. It is recognised that the general state of trade and the openings for workers in town businesses depend largely on. the exports of farm produce, for which the market may be regarded as unlimited. It is the intention of the Government to provide additional facilities for the development of farming industries, including the settlement of larger numbers of people on the land, and it is desired to encourage the employment on farms of as many workers, including boys from school, as possible. To this end arrangements are proposed by which the Farmers’ Union will cooperate with the Labour Department in finding employment on farms for boys and adults. No fees or other charges will be made. In this scheme it is desired to urge on farmers the desirability of taking boys under apprenticeship contracts. Such contracts may be entered into under the amended Master and Apprentice Act of 1920. The term of apprenticeship shall be as agreed on, say, three years, with an optional probationary

period of three months to decide on the apprentice’s suitability before the contract becomes binding. The contract shall set out the branch of farming to be taught and the wages for -the first year, say, 10s per week and found. During the remainder of the term the wages shall be those usually paid to boys of the age and capacity of an apprentice. Provision is made for arbitration on this point. The contract may provide that the apprentice shall agree that a portion of the wages, say half, shall be deposited with a Government official and invested to the credit of the apprentice. This would provide the apprentice with part of the amount required if he should desire to acquire a small farm of his own, and also ensure compliance with the terms of apprenticeship. A boy would be allowed the usual holidays, including an annual holiday. The employer is recommended to insure a boy against liability under the Workers Compensation Act. The estimated insurance premiums would be £1 14s for every £lOO wages paid. Each provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union will appoint two of its members to act on a committee, with a representative of the Labour Department. This committee will deal with all questions arising relating to boys in its district, and will endeavour to see that the various conditions of the apprenticeship contracts are complied with on both sides. The ultimate objective of this attempt at the absorption of New Zealand boys is the settlement of them on the land, including some of the pumice lands of the thermal districts, some of the gum lands of the Auckland Peninsula, and some of the present unsettled land. The Government will be' asked to give the group system of settlement a good try out with these boys by putting a group on a suitable block of land. The boys would work under the direction of an experienced supervisor until the block was self-supporting. Then the block would be subdivided among the boys who had worked it and purchased from the Government under the 36-year mortgage system at a reasonable price, after each section had been loaded with shares of the cost of manures, etc. During the period the boy was working for the Lands Department he would receive 40s wekely, half to be banked. The Lands Department will be asked to finance the boys as under the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act to enable them to erect dwellings, fences, etc., and purchase stock under the supervision of the department. It is also proposed to establish farm schools on selected farms under the control of a competent authority, where certain boys will, by arrangement with the local farmers, work upon farms and become ultimatelj- eligible to take up land under similar conditions. “It is apparent,” concludes the report, that some concessions, such as those outlined, will have to be offered to our boys from the cities.”.