TRAINING RETURNED SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3123, 29 June 1917, Page 8

TRAINING RETURNED SOLDIERS

SUGGESTIONS BT TECHNICAL .SCHOOL CONFERENCE. Tho technical education of returned soldiers ivas tho topic of an interesting (lisoussdon at tho conferenoo of dirootor3. and supervisors of technical education, held in the Victoria College Buildings yesterday. The chairman (Sir. George) t?aid that ono great defect at-■present was tho lack of provision for training in agriculture. So far as ho know, tho ornnioiit had mado no provision for training mon who Tvoro anxious to go on tho land but who had no previoos experience oi .farming. Ho understood that the Minister of Agriculture was bow considering somo such provision. If tho Government had taken a bis block of land, say, in the Urewora Country, and broken it up, 'setting an instructional farm in tho

centre, a lot; of useful mon might havo been trained. Somo mon had gone into Wie Wtnukiiig trade, and they scorned to bo sticking at it pretty ■well. Ho thought that it was ono of the things that a large number of eoldiera might bo absorbed into. It might bo possible in general to suggest eoino means by which returned soldiers could bo given bettor training than at present. Mr. La. Trobo said that as fav'-'as ho coidd see, unless somo_ definito echemo apart from tho ordinary functions of technical schools n'as ovolved, properly arranged and financed, vory little good was going to bo done. ITidosa things -were dono on wholesale lines, little benefit would accrue to tho country. To train a mail up to a'now trado took time nnd money, and if tho toohnioal schools were not given tho necessary equipment, they would not bo ablo to do the work for tho numbe-Te that should bo taken, and would not be able to attract the men by the conditions they could offor.

Itr. George said that it wae evident that the returned men did not care to join in irith. others in the classes. At one time he had felt inclined to oppose the suggestion for a special training college - for returned soldiers, but he waa inclined now to bo of opinion that such an institution would be beet. A place of the kind might be.like a big factory with various branches.

Mr. Kalangher said that there were certain minor ways in Tvhicli help could be given. There iras a settlement of men at Morrinsville. A epocial course of instruction- in agriculture end dairy science should be provided , for them. Dr. Hansen, said he understood that mon were returning now much foster than, before. The arrangements made had worked well in the past, but it was a question whether the men oould to placed in the future.'

In some factories, said Mr. George, there had been cases in which the operatives had refused to teach the Tetunied men. It was, therefore, necessary that the men should have some training before they went into a commercial concern.

Mr. Howell said that some of the schools could do moro work in certain directions than they were doing at present. Why should they not be/encouraged to do what they could, and provision be made for it even if hostels had to be erected?

Mr. Park eaid that he felt that tho centml institution was a matter that would be considered when the military camps (at Trcnthani and Featherston) were finielied with. The idea of military training was bound to continue after £he war, and it would probably continue to a greater extent than before tho war. Then there would bo some question of combining vocational training with military training, so that the country would get back in the increased efficiency of its workers some of the money it had to spend on military training. ■An American writer had pointed out; that if the United States had to keep np a standing army after the war, it might reasonably expect, if it combined the vocational training with tho military training, to be recouped for a considerable part of tho cost of the latter training. Tho Government of New Zealand was bound to think of some possibility of utilising the camps, it had built at places liko Trentliam and Featherston. If a central institution was to be considered, a sngKostion referring to- these camp 9 might lie put before tho Efficiency Bonrd. Mr. Howell: I think that wae m tho minds of somo members of Parliament with regard to Toathorston. They looked forward to that ns a training-place-after tho war.

Mr. Park: Military? Mr. Howoll: No; industrial and agricultural. . .

The following motion was put and carried: —"That the board bo informed that in the opinion of this conference tho present arranfromonts for the training of returned soldiers is inadequate, but that this conference foels that it may be improved to tfsmo extent by concentrating soldiers wishing to tnlco particulars types of training in particular technical schools, and mailing satisfactory provision for their accommodation while in training."