FARM TRAINING CAMPS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVII, Issue 21529, 16 December 1939, Page 5

FARM TRAINING CAMPS

Encouraging Young Men Solution To Labour Problem r.’r T. D. Burnett’s Suggestion A scheme to arouse the interest of young men in farming and to train them in the use of tractors at camps to be set up in the New Year was outlined by Mr T. D. Burnett, M.P., to the South Canterbury Executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union yesterday. Mr Burnett explained that to meet the crisis arising from the necessity for increased production and the shortage of labour he had thought of that plan and he hoped the Farmers’ Union would give consideration to the organising of camps and the training of the young men. “We must make the land more attractive for the young folk,” said Mr Burnett. “We must have faith and restore faith and hope in the land. Th? Farmers’ Union is the main hope of bringing that faith back and as an organisation possesses machinery to act. We must make a national appeal. We must increase the acreage of cereals, the flocks of sheep, and the amount of sheep feed, and strive to place the industry back in the position it once held in national affairs.” The position in regard to primary' production was drastic, serious and urgent, said Mr Burnett, and something would have to be done at once to increase the primary production in New Zealand. In value per head of population, primary produce was double what it was 42 years ago, but in volume

it had shown an increase of only a few points. It had been felt that the primary producers in the country were carrying an undue burden and as a result of financial considerations they had pushed on one side the key industry of New Zealand. As a result there had been a decrease in the number of young people turning to the land. In the old days there had been a large number of settlers who had settled and won through and had atta’ned a high position in the national scheme of things. “To-day we are confronted with a crisis,” continued Mr Burnett. There had only to be an enemy submarine base discovered in the islands to the north of New Zealand and flour supplies would have to be rationed. In regard to production, South Canterbury had unfortunately been a Nemesis in regard to seasons. There had been two wet seasons which had had an adverse effect on the crops, and the spring wheat this year had little hope owing to the dry weather which had ruined hopes of the increase expected from the 60,000 acres extra wheat that had been sown in the district this year. “Catch Them Young” No man in South Canterbury had mere experience with the training of young men for the primary industries than he had, continued Mr Burnett. In order to turn out first-class craftsmen they must “catch them young.” He believed a boy should begin his training when he left secondary school, so that they could find out whether he had suitable temperament for the work. Actually he had found that only one in five had the temperament to undertake high-country work with success, and it took five years to turn him into a high-country man. Primary production was in serious straits at the present time, and it was his suggestion that all young men not at the front should be encouraged to take a course in tractor driving with a view to their taking a part in primary production. The executive of the Farmers’ Union should secure some of the fine motor camps in the district and ask young men to take a course in how to handle a tractor, the instruction to be undertaken under the expert tuition of members of the staff of importing firms. The young men could spend ten days on the course in the New Year and could then be sent to certain selected farms to obtain practical experience of farm conditions. Another idea was that as the facilities at the Cave Military Camp were still there, the training camp for the young men could be held on that site. The trainees would receive current wages. In connection with the scheme the Farmers’ Union could make a survey of all the tractors and six-horse teams in South Canterbury. Land Not a Blind Alley It was necessary to make a supreme national effort to organise to the last detail a system that would result in an increase in production. The main hope was to arouse the public and awake national enthusiam for the land They should take in hand the work of convincing the young men that the land was not a blind alley occupation. New Zealand would have to save itself through the land, and therefore something would have to be done to make the young people turn to the land. It was up to the members of the Farmers’ Union as patriotic citizens of New Zealand and of South Canterbury, to see if they could evolve some organisation to meet the crisis and the insistent demands for increased production of primary produce. Was the South Canterbury executive agreed that there was a crisis? he asked. If they could rely on a well-trained constant supply of labour they could increase production by 25 to 30 per cent. His suggestion showed a way in which a better supply of labour could be made available. Support For Suggestion Mr A. J. Davey, president of the executive, said that he felt that every

member of the executive would agree fully with Mr Burnett’s suggestions. It was absolutely necessary to change th ? attitude in New Zealand towards working on the land. They must convince people that unless New Zealand could build up its primary production the country was not doing its job. The shortage of labour was more marked than appeared on the surface as a fear of lack of labour for harvesting had jnduced farmers to curtail their operations. The organisation of Mr

Burnett’s scheme would help farmers and help the Dominion and would also he'p the young men. who should be encouraged to make farming their profession and not merely a stop-gap. Many young men might undertake the work as a type of war service, said Mr L. V. Talbot. They must instil a greater confidence in the future of farming. The executive decided that a subcommittee should be formed of those members who were on the Primary Production Council, to co-operate with Mr Burnett and the Primary Production Council in trying to evolve the details of the scheme.