YOUNG CHILDREN AT WORK
GROWING TENDENCY DEPLORED DISCUSSION IN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, March 8. That children of tender years were being.allowed to leave school and go to work in factories, many of the children being under 14 years of age, was deplored by Mrs A. N. Grigg (National. Mid-Canterbury) in the House of Representatives to-night. Some doubt about the figures she quoted was expressed by the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser) during her speech. Mrs Grigg said that in Christchurch since the end of the 1942 school year, 43 girls aged 13 had gone to work in factories and workrooms and 50 aged 14, while another 18 were working at home. She quoted from the annual report of the Valder Research Fellow in Industrial Relations at Victoria University College (Dr. A. E. C. Hare) figures stating that 21.000 boys and girls under 16 had entered factories and shops in the last five years. She also commented on the inadequacy of the fitness certificate and the education standard required before such underage workers were allowed to undertake such employment. Mr Fraser expressed doubt about the figures referring to the employment of children of 13, and said that they would, in any case, have to have proficiency certificates. Mrs Grigg said that Mr Fraser could not have been listening when she had' read extracts from the report of the Valder Research Fellow. Mr Fraser: I would take that with great caution. An Opposition member: Would you not accept his statement? Mr Fraser: I know some of these authorities and experts too well. Mrs Grigg said that the facts as stated were supported by other authorities also.
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Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23891, 9 March 1943, Page 4
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281YOUNG CHILDREN AT WORK Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23891, 9 March 1943, Page 4
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