CHILD LABOUR.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15992, 8 December 1919, Page 9

CHILD LABOUR.

EARLY HOURS AND LATE. MAGISTERIAL COMMENT. “It seems' to me that most of the work done in 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 at the Magistrate’s Court this morning, when dealing with cases of non-attendance at Technical College, The particular case under discussion was where a boy who was tip 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,, hy working early in the mornings, were unfitted to undertake their duties at school. Proceeding, his Worship said that he 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 to sweating .children. The next case produced a somewhat similar case. A youth between 16 and 16 years of age said that he was working at a bake-house. His hours were from 7 a an. to 11 a.in., and from 5 ,pan. to 7 p.m., with 20 minutes for breakfast. His wages were 25s per week. He went to College whenever he was able. His Worship said "be 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 the time he should be asleep.