TOWN BOYS FOR COLONIAL FARMS.
[To THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR."f
Sin,—Mr. T. E. Sedgwick's letter in your issue of November 11th deserves all the support of persons who desire to find some prevention for the waste of boy life in our towns. In heartily supporting his appeal, may I refer to the excellent plan devised by certain public-spirited citizens of Sydney in founding a training farm for these same lads ? The trustees (of whom Sir Allen Taylor, Lord Mayor of Sydney, is chair- man) have now opened their Pitt Town Farm and hope to take 500 lads this year from the Central (Unemployed) Body and other societies having this work at heart. The New Zealand Government would materially help all the efforts made if such a " clearing-house " were provided in which British lads could receive three or six months' training before they are planted on the land. Canada also is alive to the necessity of some such " avenue " to the enormous tracts of land awaiting an agricultural population. If all the various efforts made could be con- centrated and represented in some central committee (such as that of the Royal Colonial Institute, over which the Duke of Marlborough presides), I am sure the oversea Dominions would be only too glad to co-operate in this movement of our virile youth to the vast fields waiting to be cultivated. From experience gathered in all the British Dominions and from an intimate knowledge of our British town and country boys, this appears to be the best way of preventing those disastrous failures which have sometimes marked and spoilt many honest efforts at colonizing the British youth. With hearty good wishes for all such efforts and an earnest plea for concentra- tion and united action.—I am, Sir, &c., R. L. GWYNNE,
Chairman of Kent Colonizing Association.
3 Grosvenor Park, Tunbridge Wells.
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