PENSIONS FOR CHILDREN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19016, 12 November 1923, Page 10

PENSIONS FOR CHILDREN.

GREAT LIBERALITY ADVOCATED. (Peb United Fbkss Association.) PALMERSTON N., November 11. More liberal children’s pensions were advocated by the Hon. G. J. Anuerson. who said the country at the present time was spending largely on various pensions, . one being widows’ pensions. This was a misnomer, as it was really a children’s pension. Many grievous cases were brought under his notice, requiring the provision of a i wider scope to the Minister, and the magistrates where no allowance has been made by law. Although no other country was doing as much as New- Zealand in regard to pensions. the Minister thought that more attention should be paid to children who were leu unprovided for, and to this end ho would work when submitting the pensions proposals a,t the next parliamentary session. These views were supported by Mr ■■ A Nash, M.P., and by Mr F. J. Nathan (Mayor). THE SCOPE OF THE EXHIBITION. TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—lt does seem altogether strange that whilst Mr Massey, along with the other dominion Prime Ministers, are at home devising ways and means to build up the edifice of Imperial preference, which before long will no doubt have its name changed to Imperial trade unity, there are business gentlemen in our community who are actually advocating the open door policy, and by doing so proclaiming themselves economic traitors to the grand conceptions that the colonial statesmen have in mind. It was only last Wednesday that we read of Mr Massey stating at a large meeting of manufacturers that the time was not far distant, he hoped, when the Empire would be entirely self-supporting; and when joined to that ideal we have Mr Bruce, Prime Minister of Australia, advocating an economic Empire council, one is struck by the grand conceptions Of these far-sighted statesmen, and, as a contrast, by the utter lack of vision displayed by the Exhibition executive here. Why is it not desirable to exclude American and other foreign goods 9 Do foreign countries not raise tariff prison walls against British commodities? Take, for instance, America, which country Mr Barr desires to treat indulgently on account of the reception Mr Massey received there, as if there was no sinister motive behind the reception to a Minister going to England to discuss British preference trade proposals! Does she not put bn a tariff on British imports as high , as her native .Rockies? Then the contention that it is not possible for a nation to be self-support-ing is contradicted by the facts, for America to-day is self-supporting. As Lord Birkenhead stated last week, her great financial amidst a world of povertyetricken nations supports the fact that she is entirely independent of the world’s economic distress, and why ohould not our Empire be also?—I am, etc., British Trade Unity. YOUNG PEOPLE’S YEAR. TO TilK EDITOR. . ; Sir,—ln this morning's issue- of your paper 1 notice a letter signed “ Parent ” which comments somewhat severely on the lack of zeal displayed by the ministers who conduct Bible lessons at George Street School. .In my necessarily brief report to the committee, I wiotn that the work had not been “ so ” successful this year owing to the frequ"nt absence of some of the ministers.’’ The , unjustifiable omission of the little word “so” in your correspondent's letter completely alters the meaning of my statement. In fairness to the ministers who so cheerfully and so ungrudgingly engage in this important work, 1 wish to state that the irregularity in their attendance was in most cases unavoidable. Ministers, like other pooch, arc sometimes ill. Sickness in the family of one minister, a death in another, the transfer of one minister to another district. exceptional demand-, on the l.ae of another, and the impossibility of obtaining substitutes—these were the causes of (he frequent absence. This shows the urgent need of a corps of emergency teachers who would be available when the regular teacher cannot be preeont. The work o£ these ministers is of inestimable value in the moral training of our pupils, and undoubtedly makes the State school teacher’s task easier. If teachers of religion realised the splendid opportunity offered by the weekly Bible lesson, the work would not be left to a devoted few. They would find the conditions in our schools almost ideal. The children are well behaved and attentive; they welcome the visit of the minister as an agreeable change in the week’s work; the class teachers are helpful and sympathetic; and the parents show their appreciation by sending their children with most commendable regularity.—l am etc., T. A. Patterson, Head Master, George Street School. November 10.