MODERN YOUTH

Patea Mail, Volume XLVIII, 29 May 1925, Page 3

MODERN YOUTH

(To the Editor) Sir, —I have read with interest the remarks of the Christchurch business man re modern youth. But I don’t think Christchurch stands on its own in the matter of youth. Auckland, 1 am sure, can .come very near to the standard which is evidently set in the Cathedral City. It makes one wonder 1 what is to become of ‘ tho foppish youths who parade the streets of tho city in the evening. There is evidently needed some sort of drastic measures, but upon whose shoulders the burden of this reform should bo carried, it seems hard to decide. There is no doubt the Church can carry a great deal of weight in the moulding of tho young mind, but there scorns to bo a gap between tho Sunday-school stage and man and womanhood, which needs bridging. There seems to be too much latitude given to the youth of to-day by the parents, and I think if -the young girls were trained at home in tho matter! which go to make tho home-loving, domestic mothers, the same as our grandmothers were, then the young lads would learn automatically to respect them more than is done in these whirling days. It scorns to me, the Great War, with its man shortage, has also helped to bring about this undesirable state of affairs. It has caused more girls to leave the domestic circle, in order to fill positions rendered vacant by the shortage Of. male labour, and when af girl has to work side by side and in competition with men, she naturally loses that womanly charm which i?. by nature her right. How can tno girl of to-day. be expected to fill "*%h« position of the mother of to-morrow, when she has toiled from early morning till late at night in the confines of some stuffy little office, instead of learning the rudiments of domestic life. They arc spoken to by the male members on much the same plane as man to man, and this eventually ends in loss of the respect-that is due to a woman. I think this also has a great deal to do with the parading of young girls and youths on the streets at night. After being inside offices all day they foci that they want some enjoyment, and sft naturally, evening entertainments —some of them not of a very wholesome nature —lure them away from the domestic hearth. What is needed is some social gathering that is under strict surveillance to be started that will gradually wean tho young people from unwholesome surroundings and provide entertainment that will prove beneficial to them in later life. Certainly, the Y.M.d.A. and the Salvation Army are doing good work among young people, tmt it seems to me that it wants something in between these and the jazzing academies to properly fill the gap. There is no •harm in the old-time dancing parties, with their waltz and quadrilles; these graceful dances giving very beneficial exercises as well as healthful amusement, but they would need to bo conducted in a proper manner to servo the

purpose. It seems to me, the introduction of the jazz and the fox trot, with their very suggestive attitudes, arc whirling our young people on a very undesirable path, and if persisted in, can only lead in one way—the wrecking Of our youth. Another factor which has also to be considered is that of money. Where in the old days our girls were content to have a few shillings pocket money and to let their parents provide their clothing, nowadays they think it their right that as they earn the money, they arc entitled to a goodly share for themselves. They arc also allowed to choose their own clothing. The result of this is that, being young and quite inexperienced as to what is desirable for them to wear, they choose Cheap, flashy clothes, to attract attention, and do not study service at all. When those girls appear at the office, clad in these gay clothes, the young male members of the staff, I should imagine, feci drab in their quiet, but useful, clothing, and in order to keep the pace that is sot by their feminine companions, don coloured socks, coloured handkerchiefs, and generally Change their dress in order that they may not bo outdone. There is need for a change in the present order of things, without a doubt, otherwise, I am afraid, we shall go backward, not forward. Thanking you for giving me so much space.—l am, etc., AUCKLANDER.