SCHOOL CAMPS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 February 1939, Page 5

SCHOOL CAMPS

DEVELOPMENT OF BRITISH SCHEME WAR TIME EVACUATION & PEACE TRAINING. COMPANIES NOT WORKING FOR PROFIT. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, February 23. The Government’s decision to construct 50 school camps to meet the needs of evacuation from threatened areas in the event of war was referred to in relation to the unemployment problem by Mr Chamberlain in his speech in Blackburn yesterday and during a debate in the House of Lords. Mr Chamberlain said: “The erection of these houses is to be entrusted to companies not working for profit, and we propose to ask these companies to co-operate with us by giving such work as they can to unemployed, and specially to young men.” The desire for the development oi a scheme to relieve the position particularly of the younger men was expressed during the House of Lords debate. Replying for the Government, Earl De La Warr, President of the Board of Education, urged the advisability of trying out the new idea, which had already been given a good start, on a manageable basis first. The fact that the camps were to be in the hands of a permanent corporation indicated that the Government, if they were successful in their first effort, did not mean to stop at the present numbers. In any case, however, it could only be regarded as a supplement to accommodation being provided by billeting. Though final replies to inquiries in regard to billeting had not come in, there was no question that the results were likely to be satisfactory. During evacuation the camps could be useful as collecting depots. That would give a very useful margin of safety. In peace time their use as holiday camps was in no way ruled out in the scheme, but the first purpose to which it was intended to pul them was for the use of schools and kindred services relating to boys’ and girls’ clubs. The camps would be financed entirely by the Exchequer, which would attempt to recover interest on 50 per cent of the money thus invested. The question of utilising the services of young unemployed men on the erection of the camps was receiving serious consideration. ~