BOY FARMERS.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 99, 13 May 1937, Page 4

BOY FARMERS.

Details of ihe Queensland Government 's scheme to subsidise wages paid to lads employed on farms were announced recently by the Minister for Labour and Industry, Mr. M. P. Hynes. The scheme is designed to encourage unemployed lads in cities to accept farm jobs in the country, It is proposed to subsidise the wages .paid m certain cases. There aro indications that the New Zealand Government intends to pursue a similar poliey. The Queensjand subsidy will apply only to inexperienced or partly inexperienced lads in farm work and the amount varies from 5/- to 10/a week, which added to ruling rates will make wiages for farm lads from 17/6 to £l a week. The usual wage paid to the inexperienced farm lad is 10/- a week, which is incfeased, as a rule, to 12/6 a week at the end of six months if th© lad shpws satisfactory progress in farm work. It is not proposed to alter this ruling wage as paid by the farmer, but to subsidise it from Unemployment Belief Funds by such an amount as will raise the total wage to 17/6 in the case of the lad 16 to 18 years of age, and to £1 per week if he is 18 to 21 years of age. This subsidy vill be paid only to inexperienced or partly experienced lads (those who have not had more than six months' farming experience) of these age groups.