JUVENILE WORKERS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXIV, Issue 17736, 9 December 1919, Page 2

JUVENILE WORKERS.

COMMENT BY MAGISTRATE

"It seems to me that most of the work done i.i the early hours of the morning is done by children; there are two children to nearly every milk cart, and they are children who deliver papers," said his Worship r.t the Magistrate's Court yesterday when dealing with cases of nonattendance at Technical College.

The particular case under discussion was where a boy who was uj> early in the morning, about 5 o'clock, delivering papers, said he was too tired to go to technical college at night.

The Inspector said that it was wonderful to him how some of the children managed to get breakfast.

His Worship described the practice as shocking. The children, by working early in the morning 3, were unfitted to undertake their duties at school. Proceeding, his Worship said that lie thought the better course would be to make a law prohibiting the employment of children under 14 years of age before the hours, say, of 7 or 8 o'clock in the morning, or after 6 o'clock at night. He stressed the necessity of giving the children a chance, and the importance of completing their education. Unless some such provision as he had suggested were made, there would be some who would fatten on the sweating children.

The next case produced a somewhat similar case. A youth between 15 and 16 years of age said that he was working at a bake-h<-use. His hours were from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., with 20 minutes for breakfast. His wages were 25s a week He went to College whenever he was able.

His Worship said he did not know whether the provisions of the bakers' award allowed this state of affairs, but it seemed to him to be a very long time for a lad to work, working some of tho time he should be asleep.