POINTS FROM CONFERENCES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21688, 5 July 1932, Page 8

POINTS FROM CONFERENCES

DANGER GF NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE A SOVIET OBSESSION SCHOOL INTRUDERS. (From Odb Own Correspondent.) - LONDON, May 20. The National Association of Head s Teachers carried a resolution to the effect that instructions to head teachers, affecting medical and other services, should be over the signature of tbe Director of Education.' ' Mr R. J. Pendlebury _ (Preston), seconding the resolution, said: “Thq teaching profession is inspectorised by the Board of Education organised and supervised by local education authorities and criticised by everybody. Finally, we have been victimised by Government..We remember the days when the body and soul of the teacher were in the, hands of the squire and parson. Those days are going; I will not say that they have gone entirely, but we don’t want the vacancies caused by those former intruders in the school to be filled by more insidious intruders.” JUVENILE CRIME. At the same conference a resolution was carried demanding the services of a psychologist to study children who are brought before juvenile courts. Miss C. A. Kinghorn (Cardiff), describing the peculiarities which terised different classes in schools, said: “Standard I told fibs; Standard II was mischievous; : Standard V wrote ‘ dirty little . notesj.r-Stfihdard VII wrote silty little love- letters to boy friends:' The juvenile crimes depressing humanity so much are greatly exaggerated forms of these foibles and follies bf childhobd. The teacher i 3 continually dealing with, them, and if appointed a magistrate in a juvenile court would know now to act wisely and justly with such children.” * NO UNEMPLOYMENT IN RUSSIA; One of the four fraternal delegates; from Russia at the. Co-operative Congress in Glasgow, a Mr Epstein, speaking in Russian, asserted'that in capitalist countries feverish preparations were being made for •a new war, and in particular war against Soviet Russia. There was no unemployment now in Russia. The co-operative movement in Russia represented 76 per cent, of the adult population. Private trade had 'been reduced to very small proportions. MR CLYNEB ON TARIFFS. Mr J. E. Clynes, Home Secretary in the last Socialist Government, speaking at the congress of the National Union of General and Municipal Workers, maintained that tariffs would not solve tha' unemployment problem. ' ? ■ “I am moved more by experience than by , any other- consideration,” he said. “ Tariffs may shelter particular trades affected by foreign competition, but tha procedure -and practice in other lands show that tariffs provide no lasting benefit. Clearly they do not, in any general sense, provide work for-the people. On the contrary, trade restrictions of any kind tend to a condition of dearness, and thereby diminish demand and enormously lessen every form of service in ‘the work of transport and shipping activities. Our faith in Socialist principles is not impaired by recent events. It has been strengthened by them. The treachery towards those principles shown by a few deserters has strengthened our determination to continue the struggle, and the wonderful unity of the Labour movement is a sure guarantee that these principles will survive.” -' ECONOMIC NATIONALISM. Lord Kirkley, In his presidential address to the Commercial Travellers’ Association, sounded a-“note of warning” in connection with the slogan “Buy British."’ “The slogan ‘Buy British,”’ he remarked, “ however justified in a time of crisis with an unfavourable balance of trade, has in it real elements of danger in normal times—and specially so for a nation dependent, as ours is. bn its imports of raw material and food. It is the first step on the road towards economic nationalism —a desire to be selfsufficient and independent. This country can never reach that position. It is in very deed the disease from which the world is suffering and one of the main causes of the world depression. The only way to world peace and world prosperity is the great ideal that the world be regarded as a unit, and every encouragement given to free and unfettered exchange of commodities and services.’

TEACHING PERSONAL HYGIENE. At the conference of women public health officers consideration was given to the difficulty of teaching personal hygiene to children owing to insanitary conditions. . Miss E. F. Turner (London) criticised the facilities for maintaining cleanliness, and obtaining the maximum of sunlight and fresh air in many schools. Miss A. Wardle (Harrogate) said that they were agreed that health teaching should be given. “But,” she added, «while we are arguing about who shall give the teaching, one limp rag of a towel, is hanging in the cloakroom for common use, and pens, pencils, and books are interchangeable, being sucked and thumbed, by the whole class in Teaching and practice must go together.”