CITIZENS OF TO-MORROW.

Otago Witness, Issue 3764, 4 May 1926, Page 30

CITIZENS OF TO-MORROW.

LESSONS IN CITIZENSHIP. Many thousands of children have visited the Exhibition, but few schools have made so concise, yet simple, arrangements whereby the scholars might study the various exhibits as those set out for the benefit of the pupils of Musselburgh School. Three hundred of the senior pupils were each supplied with typewritten sheets which contained a list of New Zealand exhibits in the Secondary Industries Court, and the slogans in that court The main idea has been to instil into the youthful mind the necessity of buying New Zealand-made poods. This is exemplified by the following “Dad, will there be work for mo when I grow up?” “Yes, my son, if all the people in New Zealand buy New Zea-land-made goods.” To that the following note is appended When the time comes for boys and girls to leave school, parents are faced- with the problem—often an anxious one—of finding work for them. Would not the likelihood of finding employment for them be greatly increased if the people of New Zealand made a practice of buying New Zealand-made goods? Ask your parents about this, for you will be seeking employment when you leave school.” The Canadian Court Bays: “If you cannot buy what you want at Home, buy within the Empire.” In connection with this the children are asked; “Should not all persons ■ -v..;

who are sincerely desirous of the welfare of their own country and of the Empire put them into practice?” Finally, the advice is given: “Think over these slogans. Discuss them with one another. Discuss them with your parents. Discuss them with your teachers. Think what it would mean to the prosperity of the country if they were put into practice. Will you put them into practice?” The attention of the firms exhibiting in th© Secondary Industries Court has been drawn to the sheets, and a large number of these have replied in terms of high commendation of the action of the head master of Musselburgh School (Mr J. B. Grant) in compiling such useful information. A Wellington firm stated: “If all the teachers were equally loyal there would soon be created a better understanding of the value of self-reliance, which would compel the Government to stop the stupid practice of keeping foreigners employed by sending millions of money out of the country instead of keeping them for circulation in this country, so benefiting the workers whilst building up assets for the rising generation. The display at Dunedin has shown that the skill of the workers here is as good as it is abroad, but the bulk of the people insult the intelligence of their own by preferring to use inferior goods, often made by sweated-labour in countries with a low standard of living.” A Dunedin firm wrote: “For practically every daily need, Dominion products are fully equal to anything made elsewhere, and we have not the least jjoubt but that the information and instruction given to those under your control will lead the men and women of a few years hence to give unstinted support to New Zealand-made goods.” A sequel to the instruction imparted to the scholars was told to Mr Grant by the father of a Standard IV girl. When he reached home a few evenings ago the girl was giving her mother what were, to his mind, unanswerable reasons for buying New Zea-land-made goods, and he was much struck by the way the girl stated her case. A gratifying feature has been the action of Several of the firms who commended Mr Grant’s action in forwarding cheques for various sums to be used in giving prizes for essays or in any other way in which to carry on the good work thus begun. The pupils are intensely interested in the subject, and Mr Grant’s initiative is practically assured of results beneficial not only to the children but to the Dominion in general.