SELLING RACE CARDS

Taranaki Daily News, 23 March 1935, Page 9

SELLING RACE CARDS

CHILD AWAY FROM SCHOOL EDUCATION BOARD PERTURBED. LETTER TO RACING CONFERENCE. “DEFAULTERS” IN SOUTHLAND. By Telegraph—Press Association. Invercargill, Last Night. When the attendance officer’s reports concerning non-attendance of certain, children at school came before a meeting of the Southland Education Board to-day it was stated that one pupil concerned had been selling race cards on the racecourse.

The chairman (Mr. S. Ricel . strongly condemned the attitude of some parents towards the welfare of their children. A great deal of trouble, he said, had been caused by defaulters, and the board’s officer had prosecuted offenders in the Magistrate’s Court. The matter had given the board some concern but he hoped the penalties inflicted would make the parents realise their obligations. It was a sad thing that children should be deprived of educational facilities and their future be handicapped. It was not giving them a “fair spin" in life. Some parents were certainly “up against it” and were glad of a few shillings to help them along, but that was taking a shortsighted view of the matter and not giving consideration to, the harm done to the child. Members endorsed the chairman’s statement and it was decided that a letter' be sent to the secretary of the . New. Zealand Racing Conference asking him to instruct his inspectors to prevent primary school children selling race books on racecourses and trains.