FACING BLANK WALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 136, 10 June 1932, Page 5

FACING BLANK WALL.

BOYS' POSITION STRESSED

"GOVERNMENT MUST HEU."

COMMENTS BY ARCHBISHOP.

"The Government has said it has no responsibility for unemployed youthe, but I pointed out to the Prime Minister that the responsibility will be force.! upon it through the Prisons Department." This striking statement was made by Archbiahop Averill on his return from Wellington this morning.

"I tliink it is worth while noting," be said, "that before we interviewed thi; members of the Government wn received a message from all the churchee and laymen's represen tativee in Christclmrch cordially approving of the stand that we had taken i'i regard to the youth of the Dominion, and wishing tho deputation every success. At the head of thia message were the eignatiires of the Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops. It shows that thu leaders of the Church are vitally concerned with tho situation, and are all in agreement that the Government should be impressed with the absolute necessity to acknowledge responsibility for youths between tho ages of lli and '-'O years out of work."

Declaration of Geneva Archbishop Averill «aid that ho pointed out that the absence of any organised attempt to find some sort of employment for the youths was detrimental to the welfare* of the boys and to the future welfare of the Dominion. They understood that on more than on<occasion the Government had stated it could not accept any responsibility foi unemployed boys. It was hard to reconcile that statement with the attitude to which tho Dominion was pledged by the signing of the Declaration of Geneva, the signatories of which undertook to provide fir<=t of all for the children and to put them in a position to earn a livelihood. He informed Mr. Forbes that the deputation highly approved of the signing of the document on behalf of Xew Zealand and waanxious to help him and the Government to carry it out. He did not thin'. that the Prime Minister in signing the declaration fully realised its import. The unemployed question, as fat us youths of the country wore concerned. wouid bo much more difficulty by the end of tho year, owing to the fact that many boys had stayed on at school for an extr,i year because there had been no opeiiins* for them. At the end of the present school year there would be more boy. than ever leaving, and apparently they would have to join the ranks of the ■ employed. That made it all the more neeessarv for a scheme to be devised.

Too Big for Individuals. What was necessary was a sympathetic lead from the Government. They were doing their best as individuals and separate societies, but the problem was too big for individual action and could only be solved by Government action. The Government was informed that the deputation was in sympathy with the Prime Minister's idea that those who could woik should work before they received relief. That was quite right. He had suggested that ways should be opened, such, for instance, as the subsidising of farmers or tradesmen, on the condition that they took one or two boys. The subsidy should be something over and above the 4A scheme, which he thought was insufficient. The Government could help the farmers by way of finding fertilisers for them to develop their lands, on condition that they took one or two boys. He assured the Prime Minister that it might be possible to place boys for a time in agricultural training colleges operated by the State or by religious bodies. St. Stephen's College at Bombay, for instance, was prepared to take one hundred boys if the finance was forthcoming, and he thought that the community generally would do their best also.

Exposure to Bad Influence. "What seems to me to be one of the most serious aspects of the question," Archbishop Averill continued, "is that boys, looking forward to the time of leaving school to start work, are faced with a blank wall. They find they arc not wanted. They find nobody taking an interest in their welfare and are quite likely to speedily become a prey to wrong influences, and ready to absorb doctrines subversive of good. That is a. great difficulty. We do not want them to be up against a blank wall, with the consequent demoralisation in character and suffering. I pointed out to the Prime Minister that many of those who took part in the unfortunate riots in Auckland were young people. I alsotold him that this year there had been a considerable number of young people, boys and men, brought before the Courts, and I said that if it was true that the Government had no responsibility for unemployed youths, as had been s'tated, that responsibility would be forced upon, them through the prisons. "The Government has got to help. I pointed out that boys in work from the age of 16 years vrere obliged to jiay the unemployment levy, and it seeme only fitting that what the employed 'boys contribute should be used for helping the unemployed boys. I also suggested a subsidy from the Government to the Farm and Cities Careers' Bureau for the specific purpose of helping to place 'boys in work."

To Check Hopelessness. If the Government gave some assistance, said the Archbishop, a great many boys could be placed, and also looked after to some extent. He suggested that classes should be established for the boys in order that their thoughts might be kept from themselves. He had suggested special classes at the Y.M.C.A. and at the technical schools. Such a scheme would give the boys an' interest in life and check the drift to hopelessness. His Grace mentioned that the members of the Government who received the deputation were sympathetic, but the suggestion was made that as much had not been done as might have been done in backing up existing Government schemes. "I do not think," he said, "that the representatives of the Government quite realise the seriousness of the position, nor do they see the possibility of the deterioration of character that must follow a continuation of the present situation." The deputation were informed that if they could devise some definite scheme the Government would do its best to support it. "I do not know whether financial or moral support was meant," said the Archbishop, with a smile. "It was merely a promise or support." Joint meetings of leaders of the Churches, the Careers Bureau and others would be held forthwith, and a plan would be formulated, as the deputation was determined to strike while the iron was hot and to get help in eome way. It was the State's absolute duty to assist, and it was intended that their views should be hammered in until something definite was done.