'Not enough facilities for young people’

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33154, 19 February 1973, Page 12

'Not enough facilities for young people’

The State, including local authorities, should make conditions more attractive and appealing for young persons, said a former Secretary of justice. Dr J. L. Robson, at Lincoln College on Saturday evening.

convention of Alcoholics 1 Dr Robson said ( that the desire to destroy . was very strong in the atti-.i tude of some young people. •’But I readily concede that i society must provide the conpeople can be constructive." 1 There were not enough i facilities for youngsters, and ’ thcro was ample explanation as to why people were so | bored. Until the Government i of the day faced up to that. : the situation would continue I "But I am glad to see the i new Government has some- i thing in mind.” Dr Robson 1 What were these young 1 people rebelling against? he < asked. "The first thing I think t they are rebelling against is t the orthodoxy of their elders < 1 think this is fair enough, j and is no sin Indeed, it can t be for the ultimate good of ( "Then there is materialism c — and there is no doubt that , today the real problem is the s said. "This is an area where t

tion of satisfying moral stan-i da rds.” Dr Robson also told the) convention that the State ; should not be allowed to| undertake too much. “The; 'State needs all kinds of vol-i untary bodies,” he said. In order to prove that he: "practised what he preached,”) Dr Robson gave examples of! two voluntary bodies, which were fostered during his work; with the Justice Department. ! The voluntary marriage guidance organisation wasi now strong, and received a substantial grant from the! State and the Golden Kiwi: lottery. It was doing most! useful work in the commun-i ity throughout New Zealand,) Dr Robson said. “I will also refer to the! Prisoners’ Aid Society, because its difficulties were tackled in the same way and] the organisation today is stronger than it was. It, too,; gets a substantial grant from; the State and also from the) Golden Kiwi lottery,” he said. Dr Robson said that one of the 12 steps of Alcoholics. Anonymous said that the or-! I ganisation should remain nonprofessional, but service centres might employ special workers. “Long may it live that way,” Dr Robson said. I