NEWSBOYS ON THE STREETS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 50, 22 November 1917, Page 6

NEWSBOYS ON THE STREETS

MATTER BROUGHT BEFORE EDU-

CATION BOARD

Tho fact that boys of tender years are employed during the evenings in selling newspapers on the streets, and tho effect that such employment has upon school attendance, were reported upon to the Education Board yesterday by the attendance officer.

"There is (says the report) one matter that I feel it my duty to bring before your board, viz., the fact that children are allowed to sell newspapers in tho streets until a late hour at night. In nearly every caso of truancy I find that the boy is selling new spapers on the streets, with the result that the next day ho is dull and listless and quite unfitted for school work. After a time the boy loses interest in school work altogether, and plays truant, after which (with some money in his pocket) he soon gets into more serious mischief. On Friday, November 9, I found a boy of 11 years of age selling newspapers in Courtenay Place at 10.15 p.m. This boy has lately taken to staying away from school, and T. enn only attribute it to the fact that lie is oil the streets until all hours at night. I find that the practice ojf employing boys to sell newspapers is increasing to an alarming extent, and it is time that some steps were taken to check the practice in tho interests of th" children." The secretary (Mr. G. Ti. Stewart) said that he had communicated with the Labour Department, and had ascertained that there was no legal bar to the employment of the boys in the way mentioned, though it was stated that it was not unlikely that something would be done in the Might not the take some definite action ? Mr. T. Forsyth thought it was hardly a matter for the board to take action in. At a time l'ko this lie did not se» how they could do anything. Tho acting-chairman (Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P.) thought it was a matter for Parliament rather than the hoards. Tlie discussion then lapsed.