CHATHAM ISLANDS CHILDREN

Evening Star, Issue 18175, 16 January 1923, Page 6

CHATHAM ISLANDS CHILDREN

OBJECTS OF THE TRIP. THE DUNEDIN VISIT. [Special to the ‘Star.’] CHRISTCHURCH, January 16. Arrangements for tho visit of tho Chatham Islands school children to Dunedin are being pushed forward, and members of tho School Committees’ Association in lllui.t. city have undertaken to billet the scholars. Tho .agricultural implement works uf Messrs Booth, Macdonald, and Co., Ltd., were visited yesterday, omd proved one of Um most interesting fixtures so far attended by tho children. At tho conclusion of the inspection Mr Thomson (head master of To Ono School) returned thanks on bohallf oif tho scholars and their parents, and said that Air Booth had kindlv undertaken lo accept ono of tilia Chatham Islands bovs as an apprentice, contingent on tho Loy’s parents being agreeable. The boy’s keenness might bo gauged by the fact, that he asked him (Mr Thomson) it ho was to start right away. Referring to the visit of the scholars to tho mainland, Mr Thomson said that some bad made tOio comment that it would make them restless and dissatisfied with their condition on the islands. Ho admitted that to make tho scholars dissatisfied with the conditions on the islands was one of thp objects of tho visit. As a, matter of fact, there were no avenues for the boys and girls on tho islands, and it was only by bringing them to the mainland amd letting them acquire a knowledge of avenues open to boys and girls in New Zealand that there was any hope for their future. On the islands the only openings for -girls were domestic work, and for boys to follow in the footsteps of their fathers. As there wore no secondary industries on the islands, they h«d to look to New Zealand, and one of the objects of the trip was to show the scholars what openings there were in that respect. He sincerely hoped that as a result of the visit the boys and! girls would become restive and branch out into avenues other than those presenting themselves on tho islands.