COMMUNITY FARMING –

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 89, 6 July 1927, Page 3

COMMUNITY FARMING -

FOR ENGLISH BOYS (From Our Own Correspondent.J PALMERSTON NORTH, To-day. During the course of an address before the members of the Palmerston North Citizens’ Club on Tuesday, Mr. R. S. Abraham, president of the New Zealand Association of the _ Public Schools of Great Britain, stated that it should be the aim of tjie Dominions to aid in the absorbing of the surplus population of the Mother Country. “But,” he added, “it must be done in such a way that, it is going to be beneficial and not harmful to our own citizens.” Mr. Abraham went on to suggest that the Government should set aside a block of land, and put it in charge of a qualified man. “If a number of boys could be brought out whose relatives would be responsible, say, for £1,500 to £2,000, they could then work, the property as a community farm, receiving wages for their labour. When ready they could be allotted blocks of the land proportionate to the amount of capital they commanded, paying nothing for the land, but only for the improvements which they themselves would make. They could make their own tennis courts, golf courses, etc., and would be able to preser.ve the old school traditions under which they have been brought up. It seems to me that the Government might try an experiment in this way, as there are very large numbers of public school boys in England who, if they “come out on their own,” in many cases fritter away the little capital which they have at their command, and do no good to themselves or to the country.”