CHILDREN IN INDUSTRY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 48, 26 February 1941, Page 2

CHILDREN IN INDUSTRY

EDUCATION NEGLECTED WAGES OFFERED TOO HIGH WELLINGTON, Feb. 22. The extent to which children are being attracted to industry at the expense of their secondary school education is viewed with some alarm. Frota inquiries, it would appear that, among those with the responsibility of completing the school training of the , children, there is a strongly-held opinion that the inducement to children to enter employment is at altogether too high a price. Of the price, financially, a case was stated of a secondary school boy who took a temporary job at £6 per week. That was more than his father was receiving in wages. “It s<|ms to me that the economic system wants alter- ■ ing when you find that young people ! are sent to work for wages such as i their fathers are getting,” the informant stated. “The children get too much money and the parents too little.” A member of the Hutt Valley Technical College Board of Managers stated at a meeting that it had come under her notice that a boy of 14 was not only working at a factory, hut was required to work overtime. The boy was attending the college night classes, but was really too tired to 1 study. Mr. McFadyen stated that in most cases the boys diet not even attend night classes, and the problem was a serious menace to the future progress of the Dominion. Members blamed parents for allowing the boys to be enticed by high | wages to the detriment of their future , careers. | It was decided to draw the attenj tion of the Education Department to the problem and also to gather information as to what avenues of employment the bovs from primary schools were entering. enic Bakery girls, community sing, £5 15s 3d, half catering sale yards 120/2/41, £3 12s 3d; Town Baby, raffle I (dressed Jamb) £7 Is 6d; North Country Baby, half catering sale yards 20/2/41, £3 12s 4d; South Country Baby, C. Heinold (donation) £3, J. R. McLean (donation) £lO, W. J. Feltham (donation) £l, T. E. McLean (donation) 10s, D. J. McGregor (sundry donations) £1 16s Bd, JV. Wilson (donation) £1 R. C. Wilson (donation) i£9, C. Boyd (donation) £1 Is; Mr. and IMrs. L. N. Ritchie, £3 3s: W. G. Wade, i collection card No. 2843, £1; Raetihi IPlunket Society, catering, £l2 10s sd; Raetihi Women’s Institute, catering, £4 6s 6d; total, £729 2s 3d.