CHILD LABOUR

Otago Witness, Issue 3419, 26 September 1919, Page 8

CHILD LABOUR

TRUANT OJttJKJJSii'S REPORT. At Jast week's meeting of the Otago Education iioara, Mr J. i<i. ivy an (truant, ouicer) submitted iiiS montuiy report snowing mat Id notices bad been served on parents tor tiio irregular attendance 01 their cimurenj two convictions were obtained at Mosgiel ana four at JUuriedin. Three iniormation» are laid for hearing at JJuiiedin. He had visited several ol the city and suburban schools during the month and had to report tliat the general attendance, apart irom weather conditions, was very satisfactory. Tho illness that had been affecting tne attendance for some considerable time past seemed to be abating. Mr Ryan submitted another report which showed that the total number of boys in the city and suburban schools working belore and after scnool hours was 366, made up as follows: —Roys working on milk carts, ley; on paper runs, 14b; tor grocers, bakers, etc., 26.

More than half these boys, continued tha report, had to rise very early in tho rooming ; two of them at 3 a.m., one at 3.15, seven at 3.45, six at 4 o'clock, 14 at 4-30, 6b at 5 o'clock, 13 at 5.15, 34 at 5.30, 46 at 6 o'clock,. 56 at from 6 to 6.30. and 148 at 6.30 to 7.30.

The wages paid these boys were summarised as loliovvs:—One boy received lids 6d per week, lour 12s, two lis, eignt 10s, one «s, one 8s 6d, five 7s 6d, 19 7s, 14 6s 6d, ZB 6s, 48 ss, 22 4s 6d, 28 4s, 14 3s 6d, and 26 3s. The balance (153) were paid from 2s bd down to la according to the hours of work, whicii m these cases was casual. A daily allowance ot lmlk was also made to a small number of the boys, while several oi the paper runners received a tree paper daily. Mr Ryan, who was in attendance, said that all the boy 6 referred to were under 14 years of age, with the exception oi one, who was 15. Tins boy, who was in Standard VI, rose at 3 a.m. The other boy mentioned as rising at 3 o'clock was 11 years of age and was in Standard Hi. He worked 44 hours every morning before school, and was receiving 6s per week. Three of the boys worked hours belore school, three hours, two five hours, three four hours, and a large number between three and four hours.

l'ne Chairman (Mr Wallace): That moan a that some of the boys work 38£ hours a week. For how much?

Mr Ryan: Twelve shillings a week. The Chairman: White " slavery. Mr Ryan supplied further figures . Thirtynine of the boys, he said, came from Macandrew Road School, and of these 10 were on milk runs, the rest being messengers, office cleane'rs, etc.; of 35 from G-eorg© Street, 12 were on milk runs; of 33 from Forbury, 18; of 28 from Caversham, 19; of 26 from North-East .Valley, 26; of 25 from Kaikorai, 13. When asked whether he thought the list of schoolboys employed was a complete one Mr Ryan replied that he thought it waH fairly accurate; there might possibly be a few boys not accounted for. He could not say whether any of the boys who worked in the mornings worked also at night. The secretary (Mr Park) said that no reply had been received from the Education Department to the board's communication forwarded after the matter had been before it on a previous occasion.

It was resolved that copies of the truant officer's report, with the additional particulars supplied by Mr Ryan, be sent on to the Education Department and the Labour Department.