MAY BREAK DOWN

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 766, 12 September 1929, Page 10

MAY BREAK DOWN

SCHEME TO PLACE CITY LADS ON FARMS

RE-ARRANGING SCHOOL TERMS

••The scheme is in great danger of breaking down on account of the fewness of the lads offering in proportion to the number of farmers seeking lads,” said Or. E. P. Neale, interviewed regarding the Chamber cf Commerce's scheme for placing City lads in farm employment.

! The difficulties arising from the 1 usual seasonal increase in the demand i for farm employment at this time of ! the year had been accentuated on I this occasion by the non-arrival of a I number of lads from the Homeland, i who were expected under various imI migration schemes, their departure from Britain having been deterred by ! the exaggerated reports of earthquake | damage in New Zealand that had api peared in the British Press. | “It is clear,” said Dr. Neale, "that. I grave damage to the credit of New Zealand has hen done in Britain by ! such exaggerated reports, and it is a j matter which merits the serious consideration of the Government whether the definition of libel in the New Zealand Crimes Act should not be widened so as to cover cases where false reports had thus maligned unfairly a country, as distinct from an individual or person. The chamber has been at some pains to ascertain the nature of the reports published in the British Press regarding the earthquake. It is clear that the fault can definitely be laid at the door mainly of a certain North Island news agency,” continued Dr. Neale. SCHOOL COURSES “Some time ago I made a suggestion, as a result of our experience in connection with this scheme, that it might be well if the agricultural courses in technical schools, etc., were so planned as to conclude at the end of the second term of the school year, namely, in August, rather than in December, so that the maximum number of boys would be released from school at a time that corresponded with the maximum demand for them from farmers. I notice that this suggestion has been taken up by Mr. H. S. W. King at the Technical Schools • Conference in Wellington, but that he suggests that the whole of the school courses should be planned so as to end about that time of the year. This drastic alteration would be unwise,” said Dr. Neal. Some 20 years ago the primary school year In New Zealand did conclude at the -end of the winter, and for various reasons it was then altered so as to correspond with the calendar year. The balance of argument pointed to the change having been justified. There was an important factor that the biggest break in the school year must necessarily come at the ,end of the summer, and this was, therefore, the most convenient time for promotion within the schools . He suggested that as re-, gards agricultural courses these might be planned so as to last not an exact number of years, but either one and two-third or two and two-third years so that they would commence with the normal school year in February and conclude during August. “In the meantime,” concluded Dr. Neale, “we have several farmers who have been on our hooks for close upon a month, and we are at our wits’ end to find suitable lads to send to them. The boys are at the moment in a superior bargaining position, and can pick and choose the farms in the close neighbourhood of Auckland, leaving the vacancies on the more remote farms unfilled. Probably we shall have a reversion of this position at the end of the school year, when a large number of lads* are released from their studies and are seeking employment, and when there is not the same Increased demand for farm assistance as there is at the commencement of a milking season.”