"CHILD SLAVERY."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue 9, 24 April 1902, Page 2

"CHILD SLAVERY."

THE QUESTION DISOVSSW> BX MB: EDUCATION BOAM>. At the Eduoati.ro Board meeting en Wednesday the Chairman referred to. the paragraphs lately goiiw the round* of thfl Pres< regarding " emii elawy ' in dairying, centres, whioh »f*rr*os partiou'sirly n> Tar-nabi. S* **<>f with Messrs Mackay a»d Kennedy* been at one of what might be termed* the "centres of child i-lavery," toM

they ooulil not have wished to M* ■> better and happier class of children anywhere. He then read a i eeolatim which had -been drafted to deal with

the question:-"That this Board notices with regret the circulation by gome papers, notably the Wellington • Evening Post, of articles entitled 'chili slavery' in connection with the dairy industry; that each articles art miali adiog and tend to oast serious reflw- ■ tion on a large number of our best class of settlers whose cbildreo, attending the schools in this district, comyaro favourably, mentally and physioillv, ! with those of any other province; this | being evidenced by our Inspector** annual report and our own individual observation and experience." | Mr Kennedy then formally moved the resolution, which was seconded by j by Mr M«ckay. I The Uhairman said the motion voiced

his ftelings on the matter exwtly. <Mr Kennedy said that during theseventeen years he had be*n in the d'srict he bad taken a good deal of notice of the children. Fifteen year* ago there was very little dairying" carried ua, and the children had to assist thoir parents in many instances by pickii g fungus. Very <it«n they weie poorly clad—in fact he had himself seen them drowsed in sugar bags. Since the dairy indiwtry had been developed the settlers' children had b°e* better clothed and fed, and had vary much improved in general appearance. l'he results of school examination* showed that children in these districts compared favourably wi'li »nf others in the colony. He had seen twelve-year-old children who had to milk a fair number of eows night nod morning and yet were able to attend school legularly and to pass Standard VI. without difficulty. There wene, of course, exceptions, as some parent* were to be found who did not toe** their children witb as nouob consideration as should be expected. But in the* majority of c»ew he was quit' satisfied the condition of the little ones wa» such as could not be tafc*B exception to by anyone with a full kno-luigeof thefacs.

Mr Mackay said he h»d travelled over the whole of the Stratford County and had been greatly struck with the intelligence shown by the children he met' and tbe comfort generally evident in th ir tut rounding*. It was a gross li el on iha settle** of his d ; gt<ict t» say that they were oppres-iug their children. Their educational attainments bed been proved again and again at public examinations, and his was no»t creditable indetd in vie* of th* many diffi--eulti s encounter d by their parent* is the work of settlement in new dif trie'*, where some of the ohiidren had tojjo considerable distance to school*. The Evening Pott, said Mr Maokay, might look neater home and see there real " child slavery." He knew of no place where child labour was encouraged aa in Wellington, where an army of little children was employed by the Pott itself (he referred to the paper's "runners") till a late hour every night.

Mr Faull agreed with the previous speakers, and considered that the children were all the batter for do*og ft little work,- and became better member* of society. Mr Wade also spoke. He c iisiderei the allegations made wer.< utUrly without foundation. He »<uld like some of the Wellington p»»ple, for instance, to bring their children up here and compare thorn »itii the children of Taranaki. Mr V* ads said he could speak with knowledge of the subject, having been eogag d for a number of years in dairying, and bav« 'icg rtared a family who assisted in th* I work. The Chairman said that he had frequently noticed that children who earns [from Canterbury a-d otbe** southern distriots to schools in this district had to be put back a standard, »*., |if they held a Standard 11. certificate they had to go with the Standard I. pupils here. That surely wan an indication tint Taranaki ohiidren were not jo baokKard as some people would make out.

Mr Allawerth thought the dairying industry hud dona more for *> ducatioa in this distriot than anything elan. But far it the Board would haw bad t j dose half the schools a f«w yaara ago. Instead of that icoi e > choola had had to be built as settlement extended - which it could not have done bad not I the dairy industry be- n e t*blt«h»d, It had proved a God-Ki>ud by inoreaa> ing tbe population. He fully endemd the remarks of other members, and the Board should lepudiate the sta:ementt which had been oiroulated.

Mr Adlam stated be bad had practical experience of dairying, and railed a family of fourteen, seveial of whom, said Mr Adlam, had passed Standard VI, at between the ag*a of <iloren and

thirteen. They all had to atisut in the

milking, and bad never knc wn a day'i sickness excepting one occuion whm an epidemic swept the district. Tbaj bad a good shed to ds the work in, and were always able and willing to do their chare.

The resolution wu then put, tod carried unanimously.