OUR BOYS

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4310, 20 March 1901, Page 3

OUR BOYS

WHAT BECOMES OK THEM ? N’OM I ', AVAILABLE. AS ('BERKS, AN INCREASING NUMBER FOR ' SECONDARY SCHOOLS. SOME TEACHERS INTER'S iVvV 1. i>. There is ni" .viiUspread com plain! nf Mw of I.” ' ii> Ml vmm .a I Ijiii-i* ;on- - I l '’ 1.-- in 'J i'■> •’ Ri Ac;, illl!/'. DM . . 'l'liD o i’ll. . I>, r in ' ■ c line Id .i----!11 ■- S f H 111 SI v ' H ' "I ■ ' ' 'II ■ i (id Is in 1 1 " ri .■ i■ ■, an.. :i i;i-' i'_ :■ i:: 1 - ■j'v. I, i•• ;■ ■ h... i’l.-.V .11 il m- v a i \ 11 ’>• 1 j i-a- ■. v.' .. . i i.; .' v 1. 1 In, V !:; h; ,1 ■ i,..ii , wiiVl. IM,, e (jit .iiU’S i i-ooiidiiniiy. Si.an- p i*;:,.- -"In m 1 iv.i-'h'i-- :• Mil .il’.i. ;■ i v■■ a,, id •'' l'il'.V'"l l)V II I'epie, I'M :i ) if 111'"' /. ;iHi:iil Ti;;ii-„" and n k u ii iln ;> '• ■'l i >.]i aili He im i -1' s (il ■ a r I. .Mi- (<’r ll1 ■ 1.1 • r , Hi Clyi 1 " i* I'D'!. sii.'i'i.-O ■ ,1 1a... ■■ • •' • Ii 11111 111 LI 11. H" 1 '■ in- "" ''l' . 1 1 call -i'll I." I In' Si lit -■ I ' •■■.'l ■' '■ ' • i I nil';' said hr. “ ’D I •• ; Ik'Hll'l' Ihr !' I.' il'-' 11 '■•■■■!.HD ur.'l silll'l' IJ(■ 11 i Ills lii'.i; ■m I :’■■■' 1 ■ 1(11 iii'iii mil i'(l. Ac Mi" ;: ,■ i /"u repeatedly ri’i'l'ii ,i '.' I ' " odiri's ni>• I firms in inr.'n v.'-o n-V" ; me.". supply Ihr iic m.'i 11' 1 . 1 have had_ as many its Hire,- a week nr these iip;>ii< ;i_ Hums.” •• Wlia.l kind of positions ncri’ those ofl'l'l'Cll ?” “ (Jcncrally for 1 1>ric:i 1 work. . Rut I am compelled to reply in many cases that, 1 have no hoys to icenmnieml.’’ “ Wlmt is Hie reason for that!'” *• Well, I think hoys are anxious to remain on at school amt t'lke their ccrlil i» a l lss. Anil, of course, the Jieadni'isters eii'.'om'iioe I hat d'-irc as much as po-sihle. Again, [ think that, largely hecvase of the p; nspei'ins limes now existin'.'.', ihi' nuinher of pai'enls v.'ho wish their hoys to go on to tile .secondary •elioois h,: , comiih rally increased. The/i Hie existing prosperity operates m oilier ways to raltse I lie scarcity of h.i.Vs for employment. For Instance, business linns are exl ending Mieir operations, and the resnli of tin's always is to make room h,r additional ch'i'io'.ii and other lahoar. We must take into account also the, opening up of additional avenues of employment liy the present briskness in the dredging industry. All these tilings tend to absorb Hie supply of labour, and cause a scarcity.”

'■ Do you think Unit the number of hoys who turn their attention to trades instead of clerical work is increasing!'’’ “ Yes, I think so,” replied Mr tirmitly. “ Many thoughtful' -parents are recognising that it is well that their children nhonlcl learn engineering or other Trades, and if the ranks of the artisan classes are swelled in that way, it follows that the mm-.her of olerks is proportionately smaller.” Mr CJnuuly added that he thought hoys ought to he encouraged in that direction. Where he could giro a hoy the benefit of his ad idee in the choice of a profession, he gladly did so. .He thought it always well, too, if a boy could go out into a. situation with a recommendation from his teacher. '1 his was a testimony to the merit of the lad himself, and, of course, the teachers were da.rofu-1 to choose only boys who deserved such a. recommendation.

‘•But, of oour.sc,” added Mr Grundy, “we always like to give the boys the benefit of’ as much training as possible, and always encourage them to go on ami got their certificates; fur a hoy thus acquires a curtain status. Then I prefer, if I bare to advise a boy as to taking work in ;mi olTico, to rcconimend him to go into a good business house, where be will have somci chance of promotion.” Only a, lew days ago Mr Grundy was asked by an. important local body to recommend two boys lor vacancies, and about the same, time an application of a similar kind eanio from a local draper. “ But,” said be, “I. was not able to recommend anyone. 'll mi-e 1 asked wanted to go through and get their eertdieates, or were going on to the college. And so saying, Mr Gnmdy went back to the busy work of ‘the schoolroom. “ I cannot find any increasing tendency on the |'.art of boys to become artisans,” said Mr MaoMorran, of the Ter. raee School. jii answer to the Times ropiv-iovitati vo. Tlio "foat bulk of i iu* boys who left this school bust year went, to'the college. One - wont to’the Manawaiu Railway, and a. few others elsewhere; but tho great majority, as 1 sav went' to Hie college. ’’ '“■Have you had .in<my applications from employers to recommend boys lor posit ions ?” “ Yes. I received more applications last year (ban in any previous year. Amongst these was one from one of the, banks/’ Mr MaeMorraa added. Bin, a.s in 'the ease of Mr Grundy, Mr MacMorI'aii could nob supply the demand, since the majority of his hoys went on to gain a, secondary education He also agreed that a. gr eater proportion of boys wine sent on to the higher schools because of the existing prosperity of the times. Mr C. J. ifarjl.v, ()f Atonal Cook Boys’ School, finds that out of seve.utyono hoys above Standard IV. who have left Ilia school since the annual examination in November five went to tho (vdlege, sis to tin' telegraph ollleu,seventeen. are emmd be.vw pure and simple, twenty are learn!pg trader, sixteen urn in ellhies doing elorinit work, nnd seven are i>m]V)iiyo(l by bricklayers and milkmen, ’ . . ■•I may sny,'t added Mr ,Hnr«y t "that 1 always disinnraiio boys below Htan. (bud Vlt, from leaving school I’m' billets, except, under special cirmimatonoas, while the hoyn themselves uaiitn’any ore-, for to remain till they have fulfilled their (wmrHO.”

A number of boys leave school, it was explained, to order to enter the telegraph office a» messengers. Parents uro attracted by the offer of 10s a week, and boys have been absorbed very quickly in tins service lately. "But we do not like that boys should go into the telegraph cilice,” said the headmaster, " because there is no prospect for them in after years. I would far prefer that a. boy should go into a position at a smaller salary, but with some prospect of do-1 log better.” As a rule, according to Mr Hardy, boys who leave Hie school to go to work take whatever they can gel at first, and (hen perhaps go to a trade later on. Many of the applications ho had received from employers wore for lads to run errands. However, most of the teachers like to keep their boys. "Wot encourage the boys to remain at school I as long as possible.” continued Mr llardv, " ohielly because we know that itj is (lie only chance some of them, will mg of being educated, ami also because wo like' a lot of buys in the school. Tliev give a school a certain spirit, and influence the younger children,” “ Has the South African war had any-, t hing to do with the >o,ucity of hoy labour K’ . „ ■* T cannot hat thnne thar it must.. Mr Hardy led H e " Times ” representative through the reload and there ] U , saw bright , chubby -fared children.

j who rose to their feet immediately the J head 1 teacher entered the room with Ids | visitor. Then Hie work of the classes, | thus momentarily interrupted, resumed I its perpetual hum as Hie children continued their lessons in the vexatious arithmetic or the elusive grammar over which all of us have shod such hot tears in Hie days long ago. , ■‘A teacher repinix-s an inexhaustible stock of patience.” was the comment of the visitor. In this the headmaster agreed. Mr Mowbray,of the Thermion School, iw. s Mii'iii'i i"d to learn that there was I suc'i a -eii'cßy of hoys for ofliees. Jle 1 h-s lie! had many applications from phi. plove s, mid t!>o:-.e received have been 1.1 ihi y from 'll" Mi’.nav.ata i.Lu!v,a v ('oin j; in v. An nv h i.'.'s leave, he says-, al- j im- om-slnf/ Hie E'.nrth S-andard. in or j H > he",,n" li;if■; n<■ 11 or plai I'hiyer- | 11;,, r. Tin- a virago rgc at j ~ ..'..|,.n J,.;iv .! Im Tlui"nd«i> Sohoo! j p,,,i c: i....i, ; ;; iJ lii'.'i Hie oilier <1 ;.v J.i r | .Vowlirav nail an implication Loin a Invi- j lo" i hoy of fifteen or sixle ni. j |., m l|i nid I I'coniiiiend one, lje.can;-,e j J;;■ ir"i! none led e Kllinll. j ■') (. ,1,1(1 ]: i\e lent I'lem a very good mired, ■had he neon old I i l >|.e < in' : ".'.-'. file' a a." pointed not I;v | I AI j- .Mm-, hi", v a : we! 1 as I," one of He 1.1 In" I - dm" im" I iir.l :!"■ . !i. ■ ■ |a (lie [•>;': Ml. c''i " i''- h :ve he- ! 1 IT- " • "I""' r. .fc>' eov in i lie Them :a, I. o! t-e ieii.id nii.s i« arc Hn ; . c • ! I" f r .1 i. ;! ' I 'l l' p: evioie iv. "I 1 I ■ 'll -■! <e I)".,” nhv-.-rv.''! ‘Mr Nhiv,-. , , | -I • k 1.. "I 1 v;. a Hit Ihe I’ll! lest : ~a. am in the Sis Ii and ' .-""■i'.H’i S! Mr at V".: "'■• h'.l "i'.o f lied I to oh-m'.' v .-.c .r«ity o', hoy.-, fin' pi ' I ! lions o.'lh'.'s, _ „ .. i " I’.nt ,| ia'V.' ; ore- in -i'v fade.;, 1 h(> remark ■I, ' ' i hedthy i" 1 it not? I (Id ;k is much hett■>n. hoys lo do ihad. ihan to sit ad d"d-.- I and wear whit" erdian d.on't yon,;'” It was difiieidt for Mr Hill (o !i«si'<!i a cause for Hie scarcity complained of. as he has not been lie re long cnorudi to id,serve ail Hi" eonditueis closely. “There have no doubt- been various rancors operating,” said he. “II may have been due to the .altered conditions of work, the altered conditions hronghf about by factory legislation, tlio inciva.s. ed prosperity, or many other causes.” In answer to another ipiestion. lie said it wav, rlilhcnif lo fx the number of those who had left his school alter the last amiua.l examination ; but lie *houkl say, roughly, Unit fifty or sixty left, including girls. Of these, probably ten or fifteen went on, to secondary schools. “ Blit if the boys are becoming aid isans,” repeated Air Gill., “ it is a healthy sign, and indicates that those who declared that, ail our education would only make hoys ashamed of hard work, were wrong.”

A SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHER’S VIEWS. Mr Firth, of Wellington College, stated that a. certain proportion of boys from the college went in for the arts and the trades and a certain number went in for teaching and! mercantile work. He had not noticed any appreciable difference in regard to the occupations sought after. Of late, however, he had received a. good many applications from employers, and. there wore not sufficient boy.t to meet these demands. The only tiling lie could suggest as to the paucity of applicants was that there were more billets offering now than formerly. This might be because of the good times in the colony. There was only a slight increase in the number of hoys attending the college, and the pupils did not remain at college longer than they clui a year or two ago. WHAT BUSINESS MEN SAY. “ Yes, there is a rush here for situations,” was the verdict at a. city foundry yesterday. “In fact, - we’re besieged 1 with applications—not only from Wellington, but from, ail over the colony.” This, of course, goes to prove what has been hinted; by the schoolmasters—that an increasing number of hoys are turning their attention to the trades. “ The trouble is to keep ’them away,” continued the speaker. •“ And the ma. jarity of them wantt to be engineers.” “Wo can got allot of hoys who are not suited for the work, hut the difficulty i.s to got hoys who arc suitable,” said anrither foundry-master. “ Though the demand is great, there are no more offering than are required.” “Boys nowadays,” he went on, “have a great idea of becoming engineers. They go down the wharf, and see a fellow with brass buttons all over him, and think What a line thing it is to be an engineer, ami what a gentlemanly life.it is. But they think differently about the making of boilers! We don’t get many for that sorb of work.” And he wont into his foundry, where strapping young fellows, with grimy faces, were bracing their sinews in hammering at great sheets of iron, or hustling about a forge.