“JAZZ-MAD KNOW-ALLS”

Southland Times, Issue 19539, 1 May 1925, Page 9

“JAZZ-MAD KNOW-ALLS”

YOUNG MEN OF TO-DAY. A SCATHING CRITICISM. CHRISTCHURCH, April 28. Is the 20th century young man more freakish in his dress than the scantily-clad flapper of his day? This question was put to a number of prominent business men and others this morning, and the answers were amazing. “Of course, we never expect to see these striplings coming out in public half dressed like many of their sisters,” declared the manager of a business employing a staff of about 40, “but one can never tell. The average young man of to-day is an utter fool. I have found from experience that quite 80 per cent, of the lads leaving high schools and colleges are a pleasure-seeking, jazz-mad lot of know-alls. They know nothing, make no effort to learn, and seem to be good for nothing but running after girls. I think the schools could do a little more than they arc doing to instil a better spirit into these fellows. From what I can see at the present time they are turning out ne’er-do-wells by the hundreds. They are girl-mad before they leave school, and afterwards they’re useless. You will find people prepared to pronounce me a madman, but that is simply because they have not had the experience. Only the other day I advertised for a youth to assist ' in the office, one just left school preferred. That position is still vacant, not because I ! received no replies, but for the very simple reason that there was not an intelligent, sane-looking lad among the 12 or 15 that thought it worth while to call on me. One fellow came in wearing sox of a wildly startling hue, his tie was like Joseph’s coat, only a little more colourful, and it covered the whole of his shirt front. His hat, which by the way he forgot to remove until he began to pour out his qualifications, was as Gussy a thing as was ever seen on the head of a woman. Needless to say his clothes condemned him from the outset, but I listened to all he had to tell me about his ‘hedication’ and then gave him a little advice. He had had three years at a secondary school and was now 18, he told me, and he would have been going back to school this year if it hadn’t been for the epidemic keeping the schools closed. During the three months’ idleness he had decided to go to work. He told me that he had already applied for five positions, and had missed every one. They had been filled before he had put in his application. I told him I was sorry, but that he was going to draw another blank. ‘Go back to school, lad,’ I said, ‘and for heaven’s sake next time you apply for a job dress yourself like a man, not a yahoo.’ ” A churchman whose work brings him into contact with a number of young men said that he thought the section of young men which at present could be classed in the category of ne’er-do-wells, was comparatively small, but it was growing fast, “We hear a lot of talk about the dress of the young woman of to-day,” he said, "but what about the youth who stands about the street corners displaying his silk hose and spotted shirt? Don’t talk to me about women. One can understand them coming out in the creations they do, but a man, even a half-grown one —well, I for one can’t understand it. Not only in their dress but in their speech, they make unmitigated fools of themselves. I would not like to say that this snobbish talk could be traced back to the secondary schools, but I have a suspicion that way. There are schools in this city that are turning out these half-educated lads by the dozens each year, and it is from these schools that you get your nonsensically-clad youth. He cannot talk decent English and seems to derive a great amount of pleasure from using the most meaningless slang he can lay his tongue to. These fellows refer to their fathers as the ‘old pot and pan.’ Whether they were ever taught manners I do not know, but I am sure they do not use them, but as I have, in effect, already said, all boys cannot be painted with the same brush.”—Otago Daily Times correspondent.