DANCING AND PICTURES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18896, 19 December 1924, Page 13

DANCING AND PICTURES.

A HEADMASTER'S WARNING.

EFFECT ON SCHOOL WORK.

NEED FOR SOME RESTRAINT.

[By TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.}

CHRISTCHURCH. Thursday. There is too much dancing in the

course of the year," said Mr. A. K

Anderson, headmaster of St. Andrew'^

College, in his address at the annual prize

giving ceremony. "I am not criticising dancing, but what I say is that thero is too much dancing, especially in the middio term."

Some boys, he added, had been allowed to go to one dance a week. That, he contended, was wrong. One danco a week for adolescent youth was too many. It was wrong on physical grounds, and it was wrong from the point of view of the school. He was sure people did not realise how disturbing such dancing was to boys and girls. It meant that the school was not being given a fair chance. It led to a lack of serious aim, and in tuis respect the school needed tho help of parents. Dancing was assuming a place out of all proportion to its merits m the community, and it threatened to interfere with tho school. Let young people have their dancing, but let them have it as they used to do two or three times a year. There was time when they left school for them to have dac.ing. It was his duty to point out, to parents what ho thought was likely to be a source of weakness. " There is another danger," said Mr. Anderson, " and that is tho moving pictures. I like to see a good moving picture, but I take care' that it is a gcod one. But there are many pictures shown in our theatres that are an insult to our intelligence, and an insult also to our senso of shame."

Another point, ho said, was that many hoys were allowed to go to pictures 011 fine Saturday afternoons, when a growing boy should bo outside in the fresh air. (Applause.) Mr. Anderson condemned also many of the advertisements for these shows. The remedy, he thought, was to stiffen up the censorship. The films were censored in Wellington, but that did not seem to be of any avail, and the remedy was therefore to stiffen up the censorship at home. The managers of the theatres stated that they had to take the programmes that were sent to them. The parents could not stop interest in the pictures, but they could control the visiting of picture theatres, and it was that control that would help the boys and give them a fair chance. He also asked for the co-opera-

tion of parents of the boarders in matter of limiting the pocket money. In this respect ho wished to see every boy in St. Andrew's on a level basis. Too much

money was not good for the boys, and it gave rise to distinctions, as well as to a very involved system of moneylending.

(Laughter.)