TRAINING CAMP NOT FAVOURED.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 188, 10 August 1931, Page 8

TRAINING CAMP NOT FAVOURED.

SCHEME FOR SINGLE MEN PROPOSED AT BURNHAM. Establishment at Burnham of a voluntary training camp for single unemployed men between the ages of eighteen and thirty-two was a proposal defeated at the meeting of the Citizens’ Unemployment Committee to-day. The voting was seven to five against a motion that a strong recommendation be made to the Unemployment Board that the Minister of Labour and the Minister of Defence should be asked to confer with a view to the establishment of a voluntary military training camp at Burnham or other suitable place, for the absorption, under the No. 5 scheme, of men between the ages of eighteen and thirty-two years, the camp to be under the control of the Defence Department, which would supply the necessary equipment and instructors. The motion, which was moved by Mr J. W. Crampton, was the outcome of a similar motion which had been approved by the Christchurch Citizens’ Relief Association. “ Losing Manhood.” * Mr Crampton said that at present there were over 1000 young men eligible for such a camp. They were at a loose end, apart from the two days’ work they received weekly. By having to wait about the streets the men were menaced with a loss of their manhood and initiative, and a three months’ course of physical and military training would do them a great deal of good. They could be employed on fatigue duty in the repair of Government roads, and when a demand came for tradesmen the men could be drafted to ordinary civilian work. It was expected that the plan would absorb 3000 or 4000 young men throughout New Zealand. The cost of the project would be met by the No. 5 scheme, and the men would be left with 8s a week after a deduction of 10s a week for food. “ Terrible Lack of Discipline.” In seconding the motion, Mr F. W. J. Belton said that the young people were suffering from a terrible lack of discipline, though the fault was not altogether theirs. In many cases it was due to the laziness of parents in not training them properly’. The 3’oung men would come out of the camp much better men than when they’- went in. Proper training and suitable discipline not only developed a respect for authority that was essential in a civilised country, but also developed the phy’sique of the men. “ The resolution would give support to a very dangerous proposal,” declared Mr G. Lawn. “To substitute for an effective scheme of absorption into industry a system of military training is a retrograde step.” Mr R. J. Ecroyd: Bolshevism. “ Has Compulsory Features.” “ I don’t think the youth of this country is suffering from a lack of discipline,” continued Mr Lawn. “Young people leaving our schools to-day are willing _ and capable of taking their places in the various trades. These are called volunteer camps, but we know what that means. It will be indirect compulsion, and men will be given the option of starving or going into camp. I resent the idea of using this state of unemployment for the establishment of a comprehensive military training system which is called voluntary, but has compulsory features. We want to organise productive activities, and we have surely not reached the point of absorption yet.” Mr George Harper declared that the system of camps would prevent the younger generation from becoming absolutely hopeless. Mr W. E. Leadley described the scheme as unsatisfactory’, in that the payment of mert for physical training was akin to the dole. With the camps should be organised a scheme for the men taking on contract work with farmers. Describing the proposal as a libel on the young men of the present day, Mr J- S. Barnett said that the physical advantages of the camps would be outweighed by the disadvantages of having unemploy’ed men segregated. The motion was defeated.