GIRLS FOR THE LAND.

Shannon News, 24 March 1925, Page 4

GIRLS FOR THE LAND.

AGRICULTURAL AND DOMESTIC SERVICES. There is a proposal at present being discussed by the trustees of the New Zealand Sheepowners' Acknowledge. ment of Debt to British Seamen's Fund, under which it is suggested to extend the activities of the movement, and bring girls to New Zealand undei a scheme similar to that which at present operates in respect to the boy« at Flock House. In speaking upon the possibilities of these suggestions bearing fruit in the near future, ttib managing trustee, M>r. T. R. Lees, stated that the committee of the fund would probably have something concrete to work upon with the month. There were many difficulties in the way of the scheme, as it was obviously more difficult to arrange fol girls than for boys. "The trustees of the fund," stated Mr. Lees, "hope to be able to bring out the sisters of some of the boys who are already here, and the ideal of the scheme is to place them—after they have received sufficient training—on the farms and stations at which their brothers are apprenticed. The farmers' wives, as well as the farmers themselves, require help, and it is suggested that the girls be employed as domestic servants and mothers' helps.

•'The girls, if brought out to New Zealand, will be trained to go on the land, and not in any branch of commerce whatever. If they want to learn commercial work, they can do so iu England, and secure scope for theU activities there. Just as we have charge of the boys for four years aftei their departure from the Old Country it will be the object of the proposed scheni'B to assist the girls along the same lines. It is intended that wher, each boy has completed his apprenticeship and is ready to take up a place of his own, the fund will assist him to supplement the money he has saved since coming here and put him on a good footing, and if carried out the girls also would be given further rash, and sent as housekeepers for their brothers, as well as having an interest in the place themselves. The fund is not like the Immigration De. part ment which discards the people as soon as they arrive here. "One of the great questions is thai of finance, and upon this depends to o great extent the lengths to which the fund can go. If. the Government is to persist in taxing us, as is pro* posed, it is certain that we will not get very far. When the money was first handed to the fund, the Government deducted £35,000 in inco'me tax, 1 and now it is proposed to ask for £9o'/ per annum in land tax on FlocK House, where work is being done to I relieve the Government of a greal deal of responsibility. This means, of course, that we shall be able to

do so much loss for the people at Home for whom the fund was instituted. Steps are being taken to persuade the Government to remit this, as ihe money will have to be paid out of capital, and will mean a great deal. Of the second batch of 29 boys, who arrived at Flock House somo months ago, 11 have recently been sent out to stations in various parts of the Dominion. Two have gone to Blenheim, and one to each of the following: Takapau, Waipawa, Feilding, Waimarama, Wairoa, Moawhango, "Ekotahuna. Tunui and Kumeroa. Others numbering nine will be sent out during the course of the next few weeks, while the remainder of this draft will remain in training for .some time. Age was an important consid. eration in sending boys away, stated Mr. Lees, when discussing this, as it was not considered desirable to send a boy to a farm until he was ready to take, his place in life. The stations to which the boys have been and are being sent, have been carefully selected by the trustees, and excellent reports of their progress have been recived. Under the compulsory system of saving, two-thirds of the. boys- wages are retained and kept in individual savings bank accounts for the boys themselves. The next draft of boys, numbering 30, will leave London for New Zealand on the Corinthic on April 2.