FARM TRAINING

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 83, 24 April 1937, Page 6

FARM TRAINING

Scheme lor Auckland Boys ftve-year period '"before tho Victorian Minister oi Labour, "M*1* 33. J. Mackrell, left New Zeal^nd after his recent risit, he said that nothing had impressed him more by its possibilities fpr land settlemeat thpri the scheme controlled in Auckland by the Youths* Fann. Settlement Board. Ee said he hoped to to launch a corresponding scheme in Victoria. The board, which comprises Mt A. h£om (who recently succeeded Su Joscph Smith), Mr, W. Slaughter and Hr* H. G. Gribble, haa 23 boys uader •its control, 10 of which joined the lacheme in the past year. ' The broad idea is that lads are sel* iOCted to whom farming as a life vocaiffion strongly appeals. They ara placed W faxms and are req.uired to wdtk in :what is cpnsidered a training period for five years, except in approved cases where the period can be shortened. An integral paxt of the scheme is a systeni. of w"TiTin.l training courses on the Buakura Farm of Instruction. Members of the board keep in personal toueh with oach boy and exereise a measure oi aupervision and directlon as to the 'farms in. which they work. The boys *re required to save money from wages. At the end of the rive years it is oxpected that from £250 to £300 of his own money will be available to each Iboy. it is also. expected that Governsaent assistance will be forthcoming by Way o£ a loa^ of £1000 at a very low Tate of interest, and that each boy will |settle on land, possibly made available by the Government, with advice and (uidance.

Eighteen months have elapsed since Ihe first boy nnder the scheme staTted jto save. and already £500 8s 3d is innrested in the Post Office on behalf oi [the boys. One boy has £74 4s lOd to jfcis credit. This lad worked for fivc 'years in the city beforo enrolling in ;the scheme, and np to then he had not saved a penny. Another has £45, anlother £29, and other amounts are £25, f£23, £22, £22, £21, and so on. But thia Jdoes. not xepresent the total saving.?. •Some boys have piivate savings banl; jaceounts in addition and several have •talcen out life insurance policies. Hhe Government or the boys do not .provide any money for general exjpenses. Gif ts of £150 by the Auckland iSavings Bauk and of £25 by Arch- " Ibishop Averill were made available for finaneing the Bchetne^ and so f ar fche jboard has spent only £25. ...