UNEMPLOYED BOYS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 280, 27 October 1931, Page 6

UNEMPLOYED BOYS.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—One of the most unfortunate phases of the present economic crisis is the distressing feature of the boys who can find no opening to make a start in life; or who have made a beginning and find that their employers have been forced by retrenchment to dispense with their services, and at present they can find no further opening. Needless to say, this is tragic for the boys themselves; nothing coul.l Ibe worse for the development of our youth than to be loafing round in enforced idleness. It is not only in Palmerston North and district, but in every city and all over the country that the same problem confronts the community. What are we going to do about it? In Wanganui a splendid response has been made to the Mayor’s appeal to farmers to give these boys a trial, and 62 boys have j already been placed. What the farmiers of that district can do, the farmiers here would, we are certain, ap- ! proach in the same spirit. We therefore appeal to any farmer who can employ one of these lads for his keep and a small wage to commence with to get into touch with the Y.M.C.A., Grey Street, ’phone 6246, whose board are co-operating with a committee of the Rotary Club to help these boys who are at present right up against it. This joint committee have arranged with Mr Walter Carter, of Featherston Street, ’phone 5734, to interview boys on behalf of any farmer who cannot come into town. After office hours, please ring Mr Arthur Hopwood, ’phone 5889. All who can do with a boy should send in their names to-day.—We are, etc., A. E. MANSFORD, Mayor. W. G. BLACK, President of the Rotarv Club. T. R. HODDER, President of the Y.M.C.A. THE RULE OF THE ROAD. (To the Editor.) Sir,—Being a visitor to your fine town i would like to point out a few things that would certainly go far in helping toward the comfort of pedestrians. The entire disregard of the rule of the road—equally applicable to footpaths—viz., “keep to the left,” makes walking on your pavements a misery instead of a pleasure, and on Saturdays this is especially noticeable, when people jostle and push their way through in the roughest fashion. Also, the way in which people stand talking in groups in the middle of the pavement instead of standing on the edge or in a doorway, and lastly the use of bicycles in the wrong place. I notice that girls are the worst offenders. They stand in front of shop doorways talking, while their bicycles almost obstruct the entrance; they ride on footpaths and push their machines in and out amongst pedestrians, surely to the annoyance of the latter.

As one who has travelled widely, I say without fear of contradiction that in no other town with a population as large as that of Palmerston North would such a state of things be allowed, and it goes far to mar an otherwise fine town, with exceptional attractions in its centre. The powers that be can surely, if slowly, make it a model town as far as pedestrian traffic goes. It is entirely a matter of educating the public, and they can be educated.—l am. etc., F. S. DE CARTERET. Palmerston North, October 26, 1931.