BOY SETTLERS.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20173, 27 February 1931, Page 3

BOY SETTLERS.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS' SCHEME. SIB CHARLES FERGUSSON'S LETTER. (f&OM OTO OW* ■ CORRBBPOSDeST.) LONDON, January 20. Sir Charles Fergusson writes as follows?to: ''The Times""New Zealand has during .the past decade absorbed some hundreds of boys from our public and secondary ■ schools in various assisted emigration schemes. There is in New Zealand an association composed of old boys of the public schools of Great Britain, under the chairmanship^of■ General Sir Andrew Russell; v.hich, for 60U10 years past, has been working in harmonious co-operation with the New Z'ealand Immigration Department in undertaking the 'Supervision and after-care of these boya. Some 500 of _ them have been visited by the Association's inspector, Major R. H. Howell. It has been established that 75 per cent, of .• them have made good in so far that they have become good New Zealand farm workers, but their future is not of the brightest. Very, few have sufficient; capital to have any hope of settling as farmers. Many have nothing beyond what they earn from week to week A few cerare exceptional boys, hard--1 leaded savers who will get ahead somehow as they would in any other branch of life, and an exceptional few will marry the necessary capital. But the great niajority have no prospects beyond that' of being farm : labourers nil their lives, though, even then they 7i n man ? respects, have happier and better lives than as under-paid clerks at home.

l. J ia ® becotne evident to the Public School Boys' Association that they 'cannot cope with the problem of'the penniless nasisted emigrant. It is beyond their limited organisation and resources.' But the - Association believes firmly that under certain conditions there is a future for our public and secondary school boys in the Doand has formulated a scheme th© following is an ctutlino:— The Association has by meahs of a house-to-house visitation throughout :New Zealand, arranged a chain of members and members' friends, who are_ keen and ready to act—within limits,. of. course—in loco parentis in toe different districts to any boys consigned to .the Association, provided that ■'

XI) They are passed at Home by a selected person or- persons who know • their New Zealand. . (2) They come out at their own expense—1.0., not by a Government assisted passage. (3) They will, after a sufficient course of training on the land (on . wages, fyf course); and not till then, bo guaranteed by their parents or guardian at least £I6OO capital. r "Two questions have been . raided—- ' first, whether there are such boys willing to go to: Now Zealand; and, secondly, 'whether there are parents.willing and able to provide such a sum. as capital to start a boy anywhere, -let , alone in distant New Zealand'. The* weight "of opinion among headmasters seems to be in' the affirmative to the first question; not plenty of "spare" , bo^s 1 m these days of small families, ( but -plenty to draw from to* the' extent of; say, 50 a year, which la the num'fier envisaged by the Association. 1 And as to the second question, tlie capital ,required ; is no more- than mnny.parents 'tvifliagty expend in giving ,theii; boys .-a ,U|iivefsity > education, .yunch so often t,so. disapnGinttnent in 'tKeSe ;,dajs ridf|<fvercrowded. professions. f'jntiCohcUisipn,• may I point out M&bt" this is no specicms emigration . but a scheme carefully fthbugbtout and put forward "by old tßritisli school boys Resident; in N<?w Zealand, men of experience, who ,are anxious l to, help' their old, schools those parents who wish to give their hoys & good'stfcr£,ln lifer p.- IhavA personal knowledge; and the working of*: this ■ have complete conf|clraicf& in> those control it and in the organisation which has been"built up durbjg* ; tlie past "five 'yeaf*s*. And *it- ti this f«atperi- * ence and confidence which make «i»e, •feel justified iij fringing the scheme to ; "The Times'' draws attention Charles I'ergusson'a letter;'and .quotes <tho statement that the great majority of the boyS "have tio prospects beyond ;tha± of 'being farm labourer? all their , lives." ■ V "That," says "The Timcs,'M tiß,a.aeri- " ous statement: .and it is : to oe'the r k«yw»fce of werfc,m ' the future 'th«*t the, boys it encotixages ► and looks', "after must hare at Ifeaat, £ISOO capital Available when i&ey n6»d Jt., Provided- the' money %is. ;ing the Association \till buy farms,ftp* jthe boys when' they, are' sufficiently ; experienced,, and \ the great t«k 'making a "bad bargain w reduced to a , minimum through, the .intervention®* ■» / disinterested and i skilled agency, which will cho&se, the foment, to-nmke purciaaosfqr itsprot6g6s; It is.not expected „that thera^will be maw boys with* the but it'is certain that there some, and each bov who is settled' on, his own farm will be a valuable- new nnit in the economy of' New' Zealand,/-' i