BOYS’ CAMP

Wairarapa Daily Times, 13 January 1932, Page 4

BOYS’ CAMP

SCHEME HELPFUL. REPORT TO COMMITTEE. Mr L. J. Greenberg, commandant of the camp for unemployed boys at Penrose, was_ in Wellington yesterday and attended a meeting there of the Y.M.-C.A.-Rotary Club joint committee under whose auspices the scheme was established.

In reporting upon the progress of the scheme, Mr Greenberg said that there were close on 100 boys still in training, the majority of whom had shown remarkabzle aptitude and keenness for the serious aspect of the camp. As an indication of this he repqrted that 72 of the number had voluntarily offered to forgo their normal recreation programme in order to engage in intensive agricultural instruction during the whole of each afternoon. This included practical experience in milking, fencing, ploughing, drilling, and handling sheep, cattle and horses. A number of boys had been selected to handle the stud rams in connection with the ram fair to bo held at Solway to-mor-row, and offers of work had been received for a number of other boys for permanent jobs on farms. Mr Greenberg said he was hopeful of placing thp majority of the boys at the camp in work in the country. Some of the smaller boys would not be quite ready for that, but the month’s change and discipline under farming conditions would have a beneficial effect on them, and it intended later to engage in a follow-up scheme under which these boys would be kept in mind for future employment. The camp authorities were quite convinced that the results of tho first three the camp indicated that city boys could be interested and enlisted in farm work, and that the scheme could be expanded.

Mr Greenberg expressed his personal view that the scheme represented one solution of the boy unemployment problem in the cities, and he considered that something should be done to hold training camps under proper leadership and supervision for brief but regular periods during the year, and then placing the boys in work. By these means there would bo a continual supply of boys for the farms. He also considered there should be some supervision given to the boys while on the farms to- prevent exploitation. BOYS ENTERTAINED. Last evening a concert party from Masterton, organised by Mr 8. J. Smith, gave a delightful entcrtainmeiit to the boys at the camp. A varied programme of items was rendered and was greatly appreciated. The party consisted of the following:—Mcsuames S. J. Smith, W. G. Perry (aceompaniste), A. Rigg, Xlisses M. Jones, D. Wellington, E. Bate, D. O’Donnell. au'3* ; Xlessrs. Wilbur Davies, 11. J. Jones, A. Rigg, S. J. Smith, B. Vernier and W. Rigg-

VISIT TO DAIRY FACTORY. This morning several parties of toys from the camp visited the factory of the Xlasterton Dairy Co., Ltd. The visitors showed a keen interest in the workings of the plant and the processes of manufacture.