SHETLAND ISLANDS

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 125, 28 May 1923, Page 4

SHETLAND ISLANDS

ADDRESS BY SIR ROBERT STOUT.

Interesting references to the life of the inhabitants of the Shetland Islands were made by Sir Robert Stout at a meeting of the Wellington . Shetland Society on Saturday evening. Sir Robert said th.it though a comparativ4ly small community, many famous men, and particularly educationists, had come from the Shetland Islands, and to-day there were Shetla-nders occupying prominent positions in the Universities in Canada, United States of America, Australia, Scotland, and the Cape. vWhy was that so? The Shetlanders were a poor people, ,'K-id, speaking generally, the manutactureg were small. Practically the only employment on a large scale in connec"Vn with the islands was the herring industry. Therefore, if a Shetlaiider wished to make a- move for himself without going to sea, then he had to turn his attention to education.. As far back as 1724 the Shetlanders ' had seen the necessity for compulsory education, and in 1725 a law was passed making education compulsory in the islands. Compulsory education was adopted in Canada in 1871, in Scotland in 1876, in New Zealand in 1877, and in England in 1881. The Shetku^rs. then were the first people in the British Empire to make education compulsory, Thaschaol-jnast-er in those days received about £25 per annum, and had a dwelling and about five acres of land upon which he grazed a cow. In his (Sir R-obert's) young days, in the summer ha went to school at 7 a.m. and continued till 8 a.m., when the pupils went home for breakfast; they then returned till 3 p.m. If anyo.ua wished to study a subject such as French, then that was taken afterwards, at 3.30 p.m. In the winter, extending for about six months of the year, school commenced at 8.3Q a.m., and as the sun did not rise till 9.30 o'clock it was often necessary to break.- ■ fast_ by artificial light. Sir Robert drew attention to the proud war record held by the Shetlanders. From a population of 30,000, 6121 men had seen active service. Of those 1500 odd had gone to the Navy, 3000 to the Mercantile Marino, and 1561 to the Array.. What did, all this show? asked Sir Robert. Was the race to la3t; was it to progress and become stronger' and more intelligent, or was it to pass, away as other races had passed away? It would pass away unless carefulness were exercised. , "We must continually struggle," said Sir Rohert, "to make the race sfcroiijej. That is our great struggle now. We must utilise our means, be thrifty, look after bur health, sock the.truth and obey the truth, and be moral. If we do that we will be carrying out what dur ancestors were doing in the past."