BOYS FOR THE LAND

Wairarapa Age, 15 March 1929, Page 5

BOYS FOR THE LAND

UTILISATION OF PENROSE TRAINING FARM. PUBLIC MEETING APPROVES PROPOSAL. COMMITTEE TO INTERVIEW MINISTERS. Representations are t© be made to the Government urging it to utilise the Soldiers’ Training Farm at Penrose for the instruction of boys wishing to follow a career on the land. A decision to this effect was reached by a public meeting in Masterton last night. The meeting, over which the chairman of the - Small Holdings Association (Mr. L. Robinson) presided, was attended by about fifty people. At the conclusion of the meeting a strong committee was appointed as a deputation to place the proposal before 1 the Prime Minister and Minister ! of Lands and Agriculture. The chairman apologised for the abt sence of the Mayor (Mr. T. Jordan) , and the Rev. W. Bullock. The meeting I had been called, he said, to obtain ar 1 expression of public opinion as to the , advisability of turning the Penrose t Training Farm into a training farm foi boys. - The Hon. Edward Newman, M.L.C.. ■ described in some detail the system developed at Flock House and said he was convinced that a property managed on the lines of Flock House would pay t its way. They were, at Flock House, trying to run a benevolent institution ’ as a paying proposition, and he thought he could say they had succeeded. When 5 a boy wished to be taken on at Flock House, assuming he camo within the scope of the funds, the first thing a lad ( was asked was whether he wished to become a farmer. If they were in . doubt they were not taken. There were generally about 75 boys at Flock House. . They were kept there about six months, and were taught every phase of farming work in that time. When they ; left, they carried a certificate from the Principal as to their capabilities. They j were then indentured to farmers for three years. The boy had a hold on ’ the employer and the employer had a ( hold on the boy. Many of the boys went “way-back,” there being a great , number of them in the back country of Tolaga Bay. Each boy received onethird of his wages, the other twothirds being invested with the Public Trustee in the name of the boy. Many lads had saved £lOO and the total savings of the boys now amounted to £15,000 or more. The trustees had made it clear that they intended to assistonly the boy who was thrifty. The training, the indenture and thrift were three of the features of the scheme. Another feature was the supervision. After they went out to the farms the boys were visited by a Child Welfare Officer. All the boys were encouraged to write at least once a month to the Managing trustee. They also owed a debt—a debt which it was impossible to repay—to the ladies of the Farmers’ Union, and to the Y.M.C.A. THE ULTIMATE AIM. Mr. Newman said their object was to enable a boy, when he had acquired the necessary experience, to secure a farm of his own, with a reasonable chance of obtaining the freehold before he had reached middle age They might be able to get more assistance from the British Government in settling boys on the land. Their experience with the I New Zealand Government had been disastrous. It had started by taking £35,000 of their funds in taxation.

PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS. With any farm run on the lines of Flock House, said Mr. Newman, it would be necessary to find a place where work would not have to be made for the boys. He had visited Penrose and been impressed with the place. He sincerely hoped the farm would be used in the way suggested. He hoped the Government would take it over, for some us© could be made of it. Should the committee visit Flock House the trustees would be only too pleased to show them over the farm and give them every assistance that was possible. “It is really deplorable—the lack of interest taken by New Zealand boys in country life,” said Mr. Newman in conclusion. A GREAT PROBLEM. Mr. G.R. Sykes, M.P., said that the Hon. Edward Newman, as th© founder of Flock House, had erected a memorial to himself that would go down in history. What to do with our boys and girls after they had gained their proficiency certificates and left the primary school was a problem, not only in the Wairarapa district, but one that applied to all the Dominion. The professions were already overfull. Only a limited number of matriculated students could gain admission to the Public Service, and the mercantile houses were pretty full. Then as far as the trades were concerned it meant a considerable wait to get into some of them. The following resolution was then moved by Mr. Sykes:— “That th© Government be requested to utilise the Wairarapa Training Farm as an establishment for the training of boys in general farm work, such training to be arranged so as to act as an adjunct to Massey College.” MAKING THE FARM PAY. The motion was seconded by Mr. William Perry, who said that the farm was vested in the Crown, but was being worked by a committee connected . with the Government. Dr. Reakes, the Director-General of Agriculture, was a member, and there were also represent- * atives of the A. and P. associations, and, he thought, the Farmers’ Union, •

on the committee. The farm was in a much improved position as compared with a few years ago. An everdraft had been reduced from £BOOO to about £4OOO. It was very desirable that the farm should pay its way. They must not run away with the idea, however, that this farm of 700 acres was going to pay with *25 boys on it without receiving assistance from some other source. He believed that even in a place like Wellington there were boys who wanted to go to the country, but farmers would not take them on. “I am not too much in love with the' proposal,” said Mr. Duncan McGregor, who added that he -could endorse all that Mr. Perry had said about a farm of 706 acres paying its way with the training of boys. f ßut,” he said, “I would like to see some farm where boys could be trained.” They had not the of Flock House, and if boys were trained at the Wairarapa farm they would not have the same opportunities. After asking the Government to pay the running costs, doubtless they would have to find capital to put boys on the land. The question was whether it was worth giving boys a short trailing at Penrose. They had not the funds to follow up the boys as the trustees of Flock House had. TRAINING ADVOCATED. ' The Provincial President of the Farmers’ Union, Mr. C. C. Jackson, thought every assistance should be given to a scheme that would serve a better purpose than the farm was serving at present. A training such as it was proposed to carry out at Penrose, was very essential indeed. It had been said that sufficient boys could not be trained advantageously at Penrose, but why stop at Penrose and why should farms not be established by the Government throughout New Zealand? The Farmers’ Union of the Wairarapa would give the committee every assistance in bringing forward a scheme to establish the farm as a training ground for boys. Mrs. C. C. Jackson, representing the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union, spoke of what the Division was doing in the direction of keeping in touch with Flock House boys after they went out to the farms. The Wairarapa executive would like to support the resolution on condition that there were New Zealand instructors at the farm and it was for New Zealand boys! Dr. G. H. Uttley expressed sympathy with the use of the farm as a training school. Mr. F. W. Martin said there were many boys who wanted an opportunity to practise farm work. Whether Penrose was suitable he was not prepared to say, but something of that nature was needed. The resolution was carried. The following were' appointed as a committee and a deputation to place the proposals before the Prime Minister and Minister of Lands and Agriculture:—The Mayor of Masterton (Mr. I. Jordan), Messrs. G. R. Sykes, M.P., William Perry, D. McGregor, C. C. Jackson, W. B. Martin, F. Norris and A.. Donald. Mr. Sykes was appointed convener of the committee.