BOYS FOR FARMING

Taranaki Daily News, 15 October 1929, Page 16

BOYS FOR FARMING

NEW GOVERNMENT SCHEME. EARLY OPERATION PROMISED. Determined efforts are to be made by the Government to find openings for New Zealand boys on the land, according to a statement made by the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, Minister of Industries and Commerce, in Auckland recently. Mr. Cobbe is of opinion that there are plenty of opportunities for boys to take up farming with excellent prospects of success. “My department is co-operating with the Labour Department in the new scheme,” Mr. Cobbe said. “I hope to be able to make a detailed announcement of our plans in the near future, and to give early effect to them. The Labour Department, of course, has its officers all over the Dominion and the object is that these officers will find positions for suitable applicants. “We shall keep a list of the boys placed in positions and shall probably have a permanent inspector to see that they are working under good conditions and are doing satisfactory work. The boys will have to start at a nominal wage of about 10s a week, but there will be rapid increases, depending on ability. Ultimately something will be done to see that the boys get land to farm for themselves. “Generally, the scheme will follow the same lines as those adopted with th? English public school boys. We have received strong representations to continue the work with boys from England, but we think that our own boys should at least get the same opportunities. Not all the boys leaving our secondary schools can hope to obtain good city positions, and it will be an excellent thing for the country if some of them can be induced to go on the land.”