TOPICS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 140, 14 June 1924, Page 15

TOPICS OF THE DAY

iB^VE.H.G.)

\ ,:, It would..-be-.aV'curious tiling to come across a ■ car,-ya\ steamboat, or any kind of engine";,.wnicla-would only move in one direction. ■:,People would exclaim at the folly ;and .uselessness of.it. And rightly. ;" A somewhat similar anomaly is met .wltij' in ;the mi,nds which can only see in -one direction;- and that the masculine one. ■ 'X 6 makei a complete circle,a .{whole rqu'nd .'J'is! needed, not a/half only,and -toKiiiske .harmony more' ; than one note is,<needed.,.,' .These reflections are caused by'the'..'fact, that a number of thoughtful*."and enlightened men \vho form the' governors of the Christchurch ■Technical' College, have "found out, and j-made public.'-the'fact, "that the. girls ' of the >Dominion, aro omitted from the' „ provisions pf i the Apprentices Act. Why' is not stated, but simply, in the'framing of the Act; ;the 'boys are provided for:'and; protectedyj but 'there is no mention of tlio girls. 'Iti'.-r.these days girls \play- a ■large part in the industrial world, \ and . in' many cases 'are assistant liread-.wiriT1. tiers, or, are'at least responsible; for ■ their, own, expenses in life. -[Although \ they are supposed by some people to .live upon air, so far as expense is.meant, and dress on .the same term.", it has been 'demonstrated practically/ by the prevalence of malnutrition, the drjic'acy of many young mothers, and the !dishon-; "esty of a sad number, whose longing after the daintiness and extravagances of girls of their own age in more:fortunate circumstances lead them do-petty ' thieving, with its attendant disastrous that girls should be paid, •adequately, and . protected from .the. greedy and unscrupulous employer, just .as much as,their brothers. It'jiras mentioned at the meeting 'of the. aboard ■iabove-mentioned that where ', girls .' are apprenticed for as long a period as 'three years they should be protected from ■working, one sort of machine, or mak'l- -' -ing (for ■ • example) ' buttonholes the ■".whole time, and be .taught the..trade— .'millinery, dressmaking, tailoring, or ;whatever else;it-. might-■ be.;-.- No doubt this is. done^. by... employers ..with a conscience, and there" is an agreeable numin these days when Christianity is beginning-to be. thought of as^ a practi'jcall guide to everyday life; instead of. 'just an.abstraction mentioned (by the. '.authorised people) on Sunday. ' But • there are always sheep and gdats in every community, and the latter reDresent those who take advantage of- slipshod legislation like the Act under mention.

.. Very interesting, and at the same time .vei'j': sad, were the revelations made the sitting of.the Commission in.-. Squiring into''.the.:'serioiis-business, of the is'sub-normal, .'.and ''.those who commit \. sexual ci'imes, '"": A fine:: feature :of -the

jaevela'tions was- that in each' case the called, upon to testify.'in.-differ-

ent directions were true humanitarians. ; .Tlie different..matteiis^jverei,treated,.>vith.' fiir'ue insight, kindliness, and justice, and .each person added much.to the general .'information, bringing forth facts -.which Jiavo-.-been^biitj.Jiltie..-.Jsnpwii ...except : to. tnbse' who~worlF" for" "the"' submerged :o'r" partly submerged. Among these last ]ri"ehuoned,v6f ... course, "are those who are not "quite responsible," and yet who are. not protected adequately from' the world!' by either influence, wealth, or persons "whose business it is to' form the first barrier between these sad ones and , those who would \prey. upon them in one way or another; or prevent them'from ' being a menace and expense to the normal of tfie world. .The medical superintendent of the mental hospital gave particularly interesting figures', and a story of unfortunate conditions of mind and, "body. He brought forward, the fact that' a:' very" Jarge". percentage: of illegitimate . chijdreii are defective mentally, and remarked that it; had been suggested that one of the causes was the •pre-natal distress .of,the mothers. This should cause serious-thought. ,' Kot only ■ty illegitimate birth 'is the life, of the mother irretrievably" damaged,-but the unfortunate child, may >be mentally deficient,, as well. as. haying to live, and die under _a social stigma." This' brings, to^ mind -.an .earlier-- speaker, Mrs. - W'Hugh, who "plamly said, in answer to a. question, that more women were needed to'do the s?me kind of w'orlc as lieiown in Wellington. She also mentioned the apprqachableness, of the young.peo.ple,. and the possibility of influencing vthemin theright direction. Some visioniis needed to enter into new avenues of expenditure, especially at a time' Mike the j present, when the' world' 'is • 'awaking 'to facts in every direction, which point to the need of expenditure of money on humanity in both remedial and . preventive directions. That there ■ will be an immense saving, both of money and , character, and a wonderful '. chance of protecting . the race,: needs : vision, faith, and courage to realise and -carry out. • But "hope springs eternal in the, human breast," and many look for -;■ a wonderfully good result from the re-- : cent ..commissions in coritra-distinction to most of those which, have gone before . tlie results of which have never, beenheard of, by the • public, at least. -

Unfortunately; very little reached New ■Zealand about the Lambeth Conference ,-rthat great assemblage of churchmen of ihgh position, who' live in the midst of '■ atfairs of ihe world," and 'should have ,Jiad a good hearing in the world. Recently a book has appeared'by a standard writer, who- gives a■- wonderfully vivid and interesting account of some ofc ;their dealings with the problems of the world. The ■ Rev. J. R. Cohu, M.A.,' shows, from the conference, the failure of the attempt to build up civilisation on selfishness and force, as demonstrated by •the late war* and adds: "The same ; cause which produced war, the spirit of . selfishness and greed,.'ia ,not conlihed to ; nations. The same' mischief is at work among, ourselves to-day, sp' that En "land to-day is a. house divided against: itself and Englishmen are at'each-- others1 throats ■at.--Home, : . even:..whilo.j,pr.eachin>* .in the League,of Rations that airmen"- . are brothers- and .should . clasp' hands in peace and.goodwill.'. ;The.,same qualities: •that led.to- the war are sappin<r England strength,,and -bleeding her. white'* Look where you will, what do you see?' 13oth on the part of Capital and Labour there is class-greed and" hatred; each is out to 'down' its'opponent and squeeze all it can, by. fair means or foul out of the other. On all sides we see big finns and capitalists profiteering, while labour clamours for wages on a scale that as Jailing,trade, and. worse still, . the Jarger the wage the smaller the output " J.hus, a voice from the Lambeth Conference. The remedy suggested, so. far as , the churches are concerned is a °reat ; widening out into the world with a°campaign for righteousness, including. the apJication. of -tne golden, rule of life To stay within narrow lines . contentedly 5 and practically say, "It is not my business, was not the advice of the conference.. . . . :