CAREERS FOR BOYS

NZ Truth, Issue 1214, 7 March 1929, Page 6

CAREERS FOR BOYS

Problem That Must Be' Given Thought

CQMPREHENSIWSCmm

In endeavoring to find some solution to the'problem of absorbing the yearly "output" of boys leaving schools m the city, the Under-Secretary of Labor, m conjunction with the Fanners' Union Executive, has evolved a comprehensive scheme of apprenticeship for boys on farms.

iimuiiiiiiiii ii iiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiTiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii THEORETICALLY, the ideas as outlined may be quite sound,' but there is a grave doubt whether they could be carried out to the satisfaction of both ' parties to an agreement. ''■/'■ One point which the scheme has so far failed to enumerate, is at. what age intending boy-farmer-apprentices will be indented. Also, up to what age will boys remain eligible for apprenticeship? The idea m its present stage, leaves, much to be taken for granted.. No doubt, as presented to the various sub-' unions and farmers for consideration, the scheme will be adjudged an excellent one, but while the second point of the idea— settling the boys on lands-r---may be practicable the first is not. In the firsf place, except; on, the larger agricultural, pastoral and dairying farms, no specialisation can be undertaken. In the apprenticeship contract setting out the "branch of

farming to be taught"— and « the bulk of New Zealand's farmers are not classified under the heading of

Agriculturalists arid . pastoralists m a large way— any man, on the land at the present time knows it would be impossible to "contract" a boy to, say, ploughing, for instance. Boys will be put to work, as they have been m the past, at a hundred and one routine jobs during the" course of a day, and one job as far removed from another as chalk is from cheese. If it is at all possible to apprentice boys to farming, it would be as well to concentrate on general training m such work. All farmers m this country dabble m allied occupations to the one on | which they may be at tlie moment concentrating. Whereas a large number of apprenticeship positions offered to boys m the city are connected with highly skilled work, farming, or the manual portion of it, is not. A rate of Wage at 10/- per week, rising to those "usually paid boys of age arid' capacity of apprentice" would be wholly inadequate, unjust and not applicable to farming, Mr. W. J. Poison, Dominion president of the Farmers' Union, has ; employed boys on his lands, and it is a safe assertion to make that he

A "Little Extra"

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiJiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiis has not kept them to any special- . ised line of work.; In a like man-' ncr he hasn't whittled their ( wage* down to 10/-. a week. ; :> If {he scheme reaches fruition, win . any committees that may be formed ' see to it that boys are-worked m rea* sonable hours, and: are — if employed; on dairy farms with the attendant.^ early rising-— given an opportunity to. rest after the early morning round of- work . . has been completed? ,y .'..■?'' t-. .;."• Will a close and strict supervision be exercised over the accommodation, alloted to the boys and will it be- seen, to that the ordinary human comforts of a decent home are provided for them? -..' "AJI work and no play makes Jack a dull boy," and it is just as well- to remember this slogan when framing any further side-issues to the. v main idea. A farmer's life is necessarily a busy one and this naturally tends to "just- a little extra" to get ahead ojP thine*!

The tendency m the past y. to . look Upon the paid men — and the - boy-^ as a. machine has been

~ ~"~"^ largely responsible for the difficulty m securing- labor- on the land. Couple this- fact with the ' poor accommodation supplied <. arid .you . have the reason why townrbred boys will not leave the comfort of "their homes. Under this scheme, it is stated, the boys would be "allowed the* % usual holidays, including annual holidays," but, so far as the "usual : holidays" are concerned, this point - m the agreement, would be more observed m the breach than m the observance. \ Farming does not permit, or know, of holidays; and if the employer does not consider he wants a holiday, what prospect has the boy? Here again a controlling committee would be required to keep m close touch with all boys to see that they , received fair play. t- > It is not advocated that m so em--ploying boys their whole round of daliy " •? life should be one long holiday, but it . is far better to tackle the "nigger-in the ' woodpile," well knowingr him to be V there, than to start this ' huge /-tinder-- A taking without providing for .circum-^ : stances that are well-known r to exist. .