YOUTHFUL MORALS

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1644, 10 January 1913, Page 5

YOUTHFUL MORALS

Sl . . . CHIVALRY DEAD. GIRLS LEAD BOYS ASTRAY. it . SEVERE, INDICTMENT. a- a* TilflcraDb—Priii AauoolaUon—CoDirlKhl ' Melbourne, January 9. ** At. tho .Science Congress, Mr. Lawrence Adamson, headmaster of Wesley College, ■- in ; liia presidential address to the Mental in . Science section, said that in alertness, -d EeU-defence, and power of initiative, the 'd Australian , boy has no superior. • His at breeding, his nature, and his country as ma'se him adventurous, and Teady to take ?- risl*s.. ~ Q " :I* it was true, said Professor Adamson, 10 that Australians were & gambling people, one;-.must -.remember that this land of flood and flame was, and must be, a breeder*of gamblers;.or, to be more.polite, riipb who. willingly took. risks. . Their ■; readiness F of resource:was . shown by the • fopt that Australians who wandered 15 to make a living abroad almost invariably sucoeeded, thanks, to the raeroiful Ausif tralian theory that ho workoould degrade inoa. ■ 'i ■ . . / The average Australian boy w»9. lacking in chivalrous respect to girls of his own age, nor was the boy wholly to blame. There'had taken place a gradual, even rapid, breaking down of the old ''formal!sr tics of intercourse betweenthe eexes. The j. life of oamp (jid beaches was only symptomatic of the change that had been it going on in the social system. ; 1- . Whichever ,mx might-be at fanlt later, J ": he would say/» without fear of effective contradiction, v that in adolescence it : was ,{ almost always the girl who . commenced casual acquaintanceships made in' public n plaoesj . 'if not by actually' accosting the 'J ho? , than , -by what ' might :: mildly it bo termed the "look of encouragey mmt." There was nothing more 3. socially amazing than • the . way if, parents iri respectable 'positions, : allowed '-their daughters to roam the streets tinchecked, adding scalps, to.'their belts in n unwholesome rivalry, ; seeing who ' could o P' c k "P. the-greatest number of-chance acquaintances.' Then followed cor'twpondeace, almost invariably started by the >■' girl. ; '■ j . :i a - . vProfessor. Adamson asked whether' no [i combination w;as possible to effect, a re:l form which would inake girls value tliema salves.at their true'worth.'so as to re- >. cove* the lost respect of boyhood, and o tako their rightful place. . •' " '' . Dr. Walson said ho ■ did not bolieve a word Professor-Adamson had said rer gardingtho btiy,:,and girl",question."'' 0 Dr. Mary Booth said there was very e .urgent need of the. education ;of girls being' :- entrusted to womon teachers, who could 1 understand a,girl-and protect her' from r dangers and mistakes.