PRECIOUS TOM THUMBS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21242, 24 January 1931, Page 12

PRECIOUS TOM THUMBS.

SMALL BOYS IN DEMAND. , To avoid square pegs being fitted into round boles, 9000 boys have been subjected to psycho-analysis by education authorities at Liverpool. The results have been surprising. An official of the employment bureau of the Education Department said recently that he had been faced with queer tasks in finding jobs for the boys. - “Once,” the official said, “I received a request from a firm for a tall boy. I sent one of the tallest we had, but he was returned with a note saying he was not tall enough. A bigger boy was sent, and he, too, came hack without the job. On inquiry I discovered that the firm wanted a youth tall enough to clean a big window without a ladder, as the youth in their employment previously had had to use a ladder, and had fallen through a window. ' “There is a constant run on small boys by cafes, theatres, and clubs, which want pages. I have been asked to provide a good runner for a cotton broker who wanted a boy to run messages from his office to the Exchange. Bakers ask for boys with big hands, said to be useful in kneading bread.” Parents have been notified by the education authorities of the special characteristics demanded for certain jobs. For instance, bricklaying requires a strong constitution, for stone carving considerable artistic abilities are needed, and the boy who wants to be a plumber _ must possess physical strength—and a disposition to study.