AFFORESTATION SCHEME

Taranaki Daily News, 17 September 1934, Page 3

AFFORESTATION SCHEME

LORD BLEDISLOE IMPRESSED.

UNEMPLOYED YOUTH PROBLEM.

Wanganui, Sept. 11.

“There is no industry more likely to be more profitable to this Dominion — except perhaps the tourist industry—than the timber industry, always providing that the timber grown is of a kind to meet commercial interests, especially those of local industries, and that it is duly protected against insect and fungoid pests and fires,” said the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, after inspecting the youths’ afforestation camp at Kaitoke today. “I prophesy with confidence that this enterprise is going to be an undoubted success, both in benefit to the bondholders, the boys who are being trained, and to the land which is being protected against sand drift.

“I am rejoiced to find an undertaking such as this, which I understand is making no demands upon the Government, which is linking town and country, and with great anticipatory wisdom, is providing for the well-being—physical, mental and industrial—of some of your young people. Indeed, I canot imagine under present conditions any more salutary enterprise than to make provision in the best national interest for what I may call your more barren lands, depreciated by sand drift, and your prospectively barren manhood. . . . The youth of a country going to seed or becoming infested with weeds of idleness is an even more serious problem than land infested in a similar manner.

“There is no problem which has agitated me more during the past three years than that presented by the large number of boys, and to some extent girls, leaving school with no early prospect of remuherative employment. I hope boys will take it from me as being true that it is far better to turn thei. hands to something of a useful character even if there is no money in it than to live in idleness for two or three years after leaving school. Nothing is more important in the national interest or the interest of the individual than keeping your hands and your minds busy when you are young.” His Excellency was welcomed, to the camp by Mr. D. E. Dustin, president of the Wanganui Development League, which sponsored the afforestation scheme. He was made a bondholder, and was presented with bondholders’ badges for himself and Her Excellency.