CHILD SLAVERY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 197, 21 August 1930, Page 6

CHILD SLAVERY.

Once more the attention of the educational authorities in different parts of the Dominion is being drawn to the excessive work imposed upon many children of tender years. The Wellington Education Board has been informed of boys going to sleep in school because they had got up at 2 a.m. or 2.30 a.m. to start on milk-rounds. Complaints of the same kind have been made at Napier, where the instructors have noted injuries inflicted upon children by heavy physical work. During this discussion several references Avere made to boys who do four hours' work or more before starting for school, and in some cases have no time for breakfast. Evidently the tendency to exploit the labour of boys and girls which is so unfortunately prevalent in the dairying districts is operating in our towns as well. It was pointed out by a member of the Wellington Board that in England no child under 12 years may He employed for profit, and no children between 12 and 14 can be employed for profit for more than two hours a day. Evidently there is need for legislation of this type here. For no greater harm could be inflicted upon the Dominion than the sacrifice of the physical and intellectual possibilities of the rising generation by over-working immature boys and girls, and our social reformers have here a splendid i opportunity ready for their hands.