PERCENTAGE SMALL IN CHRISTCHURCH.

Press, Volume L, Issue 149814, 30 May 1914, Page 12

PERCENTAGE SMALL IN CHRISTCHURCH.

THE HOMES OF THE WORKERS.

SCHOOLMASTERS' OBSERVA-

TIONS

What puzzles mo greatly is the large amount of produce sc*ni out of the country, the export of butter, eggs, cheese, etc.. while the children of our cities and towns are allowed ot go, nearly half of them, ill-nour-ished for want of good wholesome food (through the price of goods). I do what I can for my children. • • • but they really* require a bettor class of food und more of it., as eggs, cream, and butter." "As far as I can see the children have abundance of food. The amount of pocket money spent in my school is enormous—it runs easily into £10 a week. If we allowed it, enough bread would be thrown about tho playground to feed thirty children. I find that people buy food of very little nutritive value"; - some live almost entirely on bread, neglecting such wholesome foods as oatmeal. They buy tinned meats and tinned fish, and do not seem to know how to buy ch.ap meat. Tho lack of thrift is a serious matter, but 'ill-nourished children'—l don't suppose ono per cent, of the children are under-fed."

Tho first statement appeared in yesterday's issue of "The Press," and was tho keynote of a letter written by "A Working Man's Wife," while the second statement was made to a reporter yesterday by Mr J. Caughley, M.A., headmaster of tho West. Christchurch School, and was borne out in a great measure by subsequent interviews with three-other headmasters whose schools contain thereat majority of tho children of Christchurch. LACK-OF THRIFT. In every case tho headmasters complained of a lack of thrift, but in no instance did they hold that even fivo per cent, of the children attending their schools wero "ill-nourished." "All our children," said tho headmaster of tho Normal Schooj, "wore examined by a medical expert, and in only ono case was the nutrition not up to the average. The children bring sensible lunches to school, and they havo plenty to eat. But I am afraid they get too much of everything—they are taught to bo spendthrifts. We practically keep a tuok-shop close by. A new sweet appears in the window, and they must all buy it. They-have too much pocket money. That is why in most classes the majority of the children have savings banks. We are doing everything we can to counteract what wo believe to be a great evil."- Mr H. G. Wako, headmaster of the East Christchurch School, concurred. He was very Surprised,. he said,/to see a statement* that New Zealand children lacked food. "The children here always seem to have plenty of fruit in the fruit season, and there never seems to be any "shortage of'food;'on the contrary, they seem to have too much, so far as their lunches are concerned. They don't appear to. get the best of foods. For instance, I never see any brown bread. The children spend,a lot of money on the pictures, and they never seem ,to havo-any trouble in getting the money to go to therii, but when it comes to collecting subscriptions for a new football it is very hard to raise the money."

The three schools mentioned represent the rosiest side, of child .life in Christchurch. .The bulk of the children attending- the Sydenham Sckool come from the homes of working people, and it is'in this school that one would naturally look to find argument in support of "A Working Man's Wife's" contention that the children were illnourished. "If it is a good home," said 3fr W. D. Bean, headmaster of the Sydenham School, "where the parents aro provident, where, they have some idea of making both ends meet, then -the children bring good wholesome lunches to school.7 It is the poorest families that bring tho most * extravagant lunches. Their children are given small -sums of money, and they, buy biscuits for their dinner.' I have often noticed the- children of the poorest parents running ator.t with-paper bags filled with confectionery—their lunch. But tho; majority of * the children have plenty,to eat."','ond/6f the great troubles of a schoolmaster is to. prevent the children from throwing their; food about the playgroniidi" 'If they are not watched they will stuff, up the ventilators with pieces of bread—anything to get rid of tho surplus.lttnch." "And they cases of . ill-nonrished children ?" suggested the reporter. "There.are a few," the headmaster replied. ''There., are three or four families here that 1 know of, whero the children are riot properly fed. Perhaps, drink would account for half of them. As a rule/the children don't have much pocket money. It is in the factory districts I find the children have the most money. Not that the people in these districts aTo really better off, but they have regular employment and are.paid regularly. .For. instance, in Kaiapoi the average contribution for "school prizes; would be a shilling a family; in Sydenham they would all give, but the amount would vary from 2d upwards." ".

EDUCATING THE PARENTS

Tho suggestion that medical inspectors should draw up hints to parents as to the kind of Jood most suitable to children, was ', warmly received by Mr Caughley, who thought that good work could bo done in this direction. Mr Bean, however, considered that tho parents who needed this, instruction mojst would be the least likely to trouble their heads about reading anything. - ''