FLOCK HOUSE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 19093, 27 January 1932, Page 2

FLOCK HOUSE

EXTENSION OP BENEFITS. The trustees of Flock House (New . Zealand Sheepowners’ Acknowledge- j: ment of Debt to British Seamen Fund) ■ have addressed a circular to all Patri- ; Dtic Associations. Returned Soldiers’ Associations, and allied bodies, inviting them to a conference at Flock House Station, with a view to determining the possibilities of continuing the Flock House system of farm training, after-care and settlement with New Zealand boys. The trustees state that they feel that by devoting a small portion of their funds to this purpose, Patriotic Associations can greatly relieve the circumstances of many Returned Soldiers by ensuring to their sons a sound training and subsequent career on the land. The circular is-as follows: “You are probably aware that, in view of the strong feeling in the Dominion that New Zealand boys should share in the benefits to be obtained by training at Flock House Station for farm employment, the trustees decided , that the draft of boys which arrived j In October should be the last draft j from overseas for the present, and this decision left the way clear for an early entry to Flock House of New Zealand boys, provided ways and means could be devised to arrange this. Flock House is a War Memorial, and it is much to be desired tha£ that feature should be retained, consequently the trustees hope that the extension to New Zealand boys may be to the sons of ex-New Zealand Expeditionary j Force men. The trustees are empow- ; ered to expend moneys only on the de- j pendents of seamen, but they are will- j ing to extend the full benefits of the farm and station, land stock, buildings, equipments, staff and organisation to the sons of soldiers, provided the maintenance of the latter is arranged for. “Previous correspondence and discussions with the bodies concerned in the welfare of soldiers and their dependents show that there is a great desire for the extension of the farm j training, after-care and settlement ac- I tivities in this direction, and that if j all the Associations interested could 1 be got together for frank and open ' discussion, it would be possible to ! attain a practical solution. The whole j question resolves itself into one of | ways and means, and the trustees are 1 of opinion that these important issues and the practical details of the extended organisation can be satisfactorily solved only by united action by and co-ordination of each body interested, and the formation of a strong combined Committee with authority from the different bodies to act in the desired direction. For this purpose, the Trustees desire to invite your Asso- 1 ciation to send a representative or re- i presentatives to a Conference to be j held at Flock House Station on Wednesday, 24th February. Represent*- i tives are being asked to attend the conference from each Patriotic Asso- j ciation throughout the Dominion, each j branch of the Returned Soldiers’ As- | sociation, Headquarters of the Return- i ed Soldiers’ Association, the National War Funds Council and others interested. “Arrangements will be made to meet representatives at Palmerston North, convey them to Flock House, entertain them there, and return to outgoing trains after the conference. The Trustees sincerely hope that your Association will be able to arrange for a representative to attend and assist in the deliberations of the conference.” Memoranda. An accompanying memorandum sug- j gests that if any Association is unable to arrange for direct representation, it will perhaps be possible to arrange for a.member of another Association, who is attending the conference to represent its interests. The following has been suggested as an outline of the form which the conference should take, but subject to any alteration at the wish of representatives:— (1) Deliberation regarding period of training, minimum economical number required, cost of maintenance, age of trainees, subsequent employment, etc., etc. (2) Practicability of the following method of providing trainees—That the maintenance of a certain fixed number of trainees shall be guaranteed by each of the following:—(a) Each Patriotic Association and each branch of the R.S.A. or Patriotic Association and branch of the R.S.A., in the same district in conjunction; (b) War Funds Council; (c) Canteen Fund through Trentham Scholarship Fund; (d) Trustees of Seamen’s Fund, in regard to any trainees who come within the provisions of the Flock House Trust.

(3) That the Government be requested to subsidise the cost of maintenance for soldiers’ sons during training on a fifty-fifty basis. (4) All the trainees shall be drawn from or nominated by the district represented by the guaranteeing Association. Such trainees to be subsequently placed in employment if possible in the districts from which they were drawn.

(5) That the local branch of the R.S.A. in conjunction with the local Patriotic Association and assisted by the Y.M.C.A. shall give supervision and after-care to the trainees in the districts in which they are employed. (6) That a permanent Combined Committee of tiie War Funds Council, Patriotic Associations and R.S.A. be set up to work in conjunction with the Trustees of the Flock House Fund in regard to all details of the new organisation. (7) That the above permanent Committee and any other representatives available wait upon the Prime Minister on the day following the Conference.

(8) Consideration of any other remits sent forward by Associations.