The Evening Star. TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 1870.

Auckland Star, Volume I, Issue 69, 29 March 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star. TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 1870.

Whiie we give our hearty approval to the movement now being made on behalf of neglected and destitute children, we cannot help thinking that some little misapprehension prevails with reference to the actual condition of many of the juvenile population. That there is abundant sphere for the exercise of a wise philanthropy in behalf of our City Arabs is iißtdisput-ble; but to suppose that there is t ffijjifc destitution among them which ia the basis of the Ragged School system else— where is a.mistake. There is at least one branch of employment which affords not

a few of those youngsters a capital chance of earning a living, and that is "running" and delivering newspapers. The " runner" belongs to a special order of the streetboy genus. He is sharp as a needle and agile as a harlequin. He has a shrill, yet powerful voice, which ho uses to good purposean his vocation, and he possesses an amount of " cheek" wbich is positively overwhelming. His age varies from eight to sixteen, and at the latter period, finding himself too big for " running," he usually contrives to instal himself into a better paid and more permanent " billet." The Auckland runners have become au institution. Their business is to hawk evening papers, and it is astonishing what tact and energy they show in the work. Neither rebuff nor rude rejoinder abates their perseverance or damps their ardour. Their : chief end in life is to sell their penny papers, and they accomplish it. They are paid a liberal commission on the sales effected, and an average smart boy will probably sell about six dozen a night. Some boys do more than this, selling from ten to fifteen dozen papers in the course of a single evening. Their earnings ayerage eight shillings a week; some, however, make as much as ten, or even fifteen shillings. The evening runner, however, may be fortunate enough to find work in. delivering a morning paper as well, in which case he usually receives wages to the amount of ten shillings a week in addition. The Auckland evening papers probably employ about forty boys as runners, while a similar number are engaged in delivering the morning papers. There is sometimes a certain amount of difficulty experienced in obtaining a sufficient number of boys for this work, for every boy will not make a good runner, and unless special aptitude is evinced for the work, a l?d won't make much at it. The runner is usually a merry devil may-care urchin; his clothes may be ragged and feet shoeless, but his stomach is not often empty and he now and then can indulge in luxuries. He is fond of highly spiced sausages, has a precious liking for tobacco, and will be made supremely happy l>y a lialftimo pans tioliot to the theatre. His amusements partake of the boisterous character, and when a paper is late of publication he will while away the time with " ring-taw," an occasional sham pugilistic encounter with his mates, and an incessant indulgence in " chaff" at which he is an adept, liis language is not choice, and often verges on the profane, while his morals are of a dubious character but to his employers he is usually strictly honest. Such is the runner" of whom the reader may see abundant specimens any afternoon in the vicinity of Vulcan Lane and Lower Queen-

street. It will be seen that this is a very appreciable element in city Arab life, and as it obtrudes itself more prominently than any other on the notice of passers by, it has no doubt been viewed as about to afford the main supply of material for the projected Ragged School. It is well, however, that the difficulties of the case should be appreciated. These boys may be sma)l in body but they are giants in will, with a keen insight into human nature, and wholly unsusceptible to the wiles of cajoling. Plausible and persuasive they may seem in urging the sale of their papers, but to be known they should be seen in a moment of fancied wrong. If advantages are to be gained, they will listen to the proposals of the Ragged School Association, but it must be "remembered that their liberty is as dear to them as to the wild gazelle, and that it will require heavy odds to weigh with them against the enjoyments of following the bent of " their own sweet will."