CHILD LABOR

Evening Star, Issue 19386, 21 October 1926, Page 6

CHILD LABOR

ILLUMINATING REPORT TO EDUCATION BOARD WORK BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL ECCyflffiiC QUESTION INVOLVED Complaints made in reference to hoys arriving late at school in tho mornings led tho Otago Education Board’s attendance officer (Mr J. E. Ryan) to make investigations into tho question of the employment of school children, and as a result of his inquiries an illuminating report was presented to the meeting of the hoard to-day. “ After making investigations and receiving reports from tho head teachers of the city and • suburban schools,” stated Air Ryan, “ 1 find that the number of pupils working before am! after school is approximately 335, made up os follows:

Boys working on milk delivery ... 179 Boys working on paper runs ... 133 Boys selling papers on the streets IS Boys working on grocers’ and bakers’ delivery, etc 25

Total 355 “ Several of tho boys in question have to rise very early in the mornings, as tho following list indicates; —1 at 3.30, 3 at 3.45, 12 at 4, 15 at 4.30, 8 at 4.45, 24 at 5, 6 at 5.15, 36 at 5.30, 18 at 5.45, 45 at 6, 16 at 6.30, 171 from 6.30 to 7.80.

“ Following is a summary of the weekly wages of 286 boys:—3 at 12s Cd, 2 at 12s, 22 nt 10s, 3 at 9s, 3 at 8s 6d, 12 at Bs, Bat 7s 6d, 19'at 7s, 4at 6s Gel, 47 at 6s, 6 at 5s Gel, 75 at ss, 20 at 4s Gd, 24 at 4s, 13 nt 3s 6d, 9 at 3s, 16 at 2s 6cl._ “1. Of the remaining sixty-nine there are a few boys engaged selling ‘ Truth ’ and other newspapers after school, and they have to work very long hours—from about 4.30 p.m. to 10 p.m. and sometimes later. They aro paid on a commission basis, and earn from 10 to 15s a week. This also applies to a number of hoys who sell fruit and confectionery at the vaudeville and picture shows. “2. Tho others do miscellaneous kinds of work, such as message hoys, motor delivery, etc., and are paid according to the time they work, earning from 9s down to Is 6d. “3. Several hoys get a daily allowance of milk, and the paper runners get a free paper. “4. The reason some of the boys do not count on tho wages list is that they work for their parents.” THE DISCUSSION. Tho Chairman: The boy rising nt 3.30 gets 7s 6d a week and a quart of milk a day. Air Mitchell: I would liko to know the ages of those boys. Tho Chairman: All of them are under fourteen, at any rate. Air Ryan said tho hoy_ who rose at 3.30 was eleven years six months of age, and was in Standard IV. Air Mitchell: What is the lowest age of these hoys? Air Ryan: About nine and a-hnlf years, but those of this age do not do long hours. Tho Chairman asked what time the hoy who started at 3.30 finished work. Mr Ryan: He is never late for school, anyhow. Mr J. Smith; Is ho able to do anything when ho gets to school? _ Air J. Horn: At about 3 o’clock in tho afternoon he won’t be able to do much. The Chairman said it was a most difficult question to tackle, as the economic question was largely mixed np with it. It would bo foolish for tho board to say dogmatically that such a thing should not be. In regard to tho 171 boys who worked from 6.30 a.m. to 7.30 a.m., he did not think anyone could take exception; it would not hurt a youngster rising at 6.30. Air Mitchell said that boys should not bo out at some of tho hours mentioned in tho report. CASES IN THE COUNTRY. The Chairman said Air Ryan’s report dealt only with the town. What about the country? , Air Mitchell; I. daresay we will find had cases there, too. Air Livingstone; I don’t think they will he so had. Tho Chairman mentioned that the same subject had been discussed by tho Auckland Education Board. “A SCANDAL.” Mr Mitchell: As a matter of fact, tho thing has become a scandal. Dr Irwin (school medical officer) said she did not know how tho hoys who worked till 10 p.m. did their homo lessons. . ~ , , Tho Chairman: There should not ho home lessons, according to the papers just now. Air Wallace added that in tho case of tho evening paper in Dunedin it was off tho streets between 6 and 7 o’clock each evening. SHOULD BE PROTECTED.

Mr J. H. Wilkinson referred to a report which Mr Ryan had submitted on tho same subject some years ago, and said he would like a comparison of the number of boys employed thou and now. Ho thought they bad to consider tho present unemployment situation, as parents might depend upon tho children giving a measure of support widely was not required when things were in a moro nourishing condition. Children first of all bad to bo fed,_ and, while the board was concerned with the education of the child, it had to givo some consideration to tho other side. They much appreciated tho report, which it was desirable should bo considered in a fair spirit, in view of all tho circumstances. In the case of children rising at 3.30, lie could not conceive that they would be in a lit condition for school work, and ho would liko to sco them protected. Tho Chairman asked if, after investigation, it was found _ that tho parents of tho boys working in the very early hours actually required assistance. MILKING BEFORE SCHOOL. Dr Irwin said it was quite probable that they might cousider_ they did. In ono country school sho inspected, sho found that practically all the children milked cows before they wont to school. Gases had to bo judged individually. It would not harm some boys to got up early. There was ono case of a little girl of six or seven having; to milk four cows before school. That was not good for her. The Chairman said there were ton fewer boys employed on this occasion than when Mr Ryan made his last report. There were 365 last time. Air Ryan said his last report was made in 1919. Mr Livingstone (North Otago) said that farmers in his district who had over ton cows bad milking machines. THE BOYS’ WAGES. Tho Chairman pointed out that the highest wage earned by tho boys was 12s 6d a week. Mr Ryan said the boys receiving that amount worked from 3 to 3i- hours on seven days of the week. The Chairman: That is about 6d an hour. Some of the boys get 2s 6d a week; what hours do they work? Mr Ryan: From an hour to an hour and a-half; they have short paper runs. PUBLICITY SOUGHT. The Hon. D. T. Fleming said that about all the board could do was to give publicity to the matter. Tho Chairman said he thought that Mr llyan should bo asked to continue his investigations outside Dunedin. A copy of the present report might be sent to both the Education Department and the Health Department. Mr ,Wilkinson thought the board

to the effect of early rising tm the hoys.

Mr Stuckey (senior inspector) said that on many occasions lie had known children to fall asleep over their work at school.

Tho Chairman said lie knetv of a school a good many years ago where tho time-table had to bo completely rearranged in order that the children would not fall asleep. Dr Irwin: Aro most of these children retarded ? •. PHYSICAL CONDITION. Air Ryan: The teachers generally complain about the boys having to rise early. Tho Hon. Air Fleming; How are they physically ? Mr Ryan replied that one or two ot the boys were not very strong. There was ono outstanding case in_ the north end, where, after investigation, a boy had given up going on a milk cart. He had been getting np at 3.30 a.m.; he was ten years of age. Tho lion. Mr Fleming pointed out i lint there were many successful men wim had had hard times when boys. To that observation Air Stuckey replied that ono hoard only of the ‘hard times of tho men who became successful. Nothing was hoard of tho hard times of those who “ wont under.” On tho motion of Mr Wilkinson it was decided to giro publicity to the report, and to forward copies to tho Education Department and to the Health Department. Air Mitchell: These children aro not getting a fair chance.