TRAINING FOR LEISURE

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21938, 12 November 1936, Page 9

TRAINING FOR LEISURE

note that there Is some cbnof by * e of Governors af Chnstehurch Technical College selw« difficulties which present themlathm by the rec ont legiswaa« tJTiL the i J r^ sing 01 the basic *° be pa * d from now on. _„?r e . recommendation to raise the ™!^Lr iav A ns a ® e to 16 Wto be comUt as 1 see things, the hji nC ii° n L of c °llege will have to be considerably enlarged when the Position is realised, and I have 2* 116I 16 finest doubt that they will FF 5 ® to the occasion in dealing with irtl ? ew conditions. Here I would JSJ° mahe one or two suggestions whicfa may help. let s * ate that Private emW il? de m a nd fully-trained ab ° u F f° that they will be recompensed for the wages paid. Also, they .9 ot he in a position to train ap+k as hitherto owing to the high they are compelled to pay. I s +v. college authorities that wnen the students arrive at the age of to, they be asked to decide what trade ™ Profession they purpose to adopt, inat decision being arrived at, they are given intensive training for the re mainder of their time so that they w he able to earn the basic wages paid to them. 1 made a similar suggestion to the local Unemployment five years ago. which, if it had then been adopted, would have sayed much of the present confusion. .Leaving that phase of the problem, l would suggest that the problem of use til ? e ex tra leisure both profitably an d pleasurably by the shortening of the hours of labour is where Dr. *D E. Hansen should be given full scope to train the students m , their later years at college. Leisure is a precious gift. It gives us the power-of choice to do that which we most desire.” It devolves on our teachers so to train the young in their care that they make a full and. profitable use of the leisure now at their command. If one had some knowledge of botany, geology, or ornithology, how much wider would be one’s outlook on life and its surroundings? Through lack of right training we, as a young nation, are in danger of making a fetish of sport in its narrow sense, in danger of becoming a nation A.l physically and C. 3 mentally. We regard all sports and games as a means to get something for nothing. The main topic of conversation with most people is what will to this race or that event. We are “muddied oafs” preferring to be mere spectators and enjoy the fleeting excitement of the moment, misnaming it pleasure. This is due to lack of early, right training, which now. more than e y er < is the grave responsibility of those who have in their charge the young and rising generation. Given authority and full power, I do not doubt the final result will be the profitable use of our leisure time. It is disconcerting to those who have the real welfare of the Dominion at heart to see, as a direct result of the increased wages and the shortening of hours, increased attendance at the racecourses and increased sales of intoxicating liquors, all of which is due to a lack of training in the right use of the priceless gift leisure, or a naturally perverted taste—Yours, etc., DOUBLE XX. November 10, 1936.