The Feilding Star. SATURDAY, FEB. 28, 1891. "Our Boys"

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 106, 28 February 1891, Page 2

The Feilding Star. SATURDAY, FEB. 28, 1891. "Our Boys"

That ever new and even interesting subject of " What are we to do with our boys " is continually forcing itself into prominence, and in this colony, a9 well as at Home, it appears as far off its finality as ever. One great obstacle in the way is " that the parties are not agreed." The parents who b kuow by experience the hard struggle it is to fight the battle of life, are not always inclined to let their sons begin iu the ranks, but want to put them in the van as offic ers at ouce. They seem to forget that everybody cannot be masters, and that in order to keep the world moving there must be men. This is one chief reason for the so-called " gentell " employments being rushed by the sons of parents who have achieved a moderato competence ; while the more manly,, independent, and profitable trades, such as blacksmiths, carpentors, joiners, tinsmiths, tailors, &c. &c, are shunned by even the sons of mastermen- in these occupations. This is not as it should be, and proves that there is something wrong in our social and educational system. It has been suggested that the old plan of binding youths as apprentices should be reverted to and encouraged. The obvious argument in favor of this is that when an apprentice has served his time, and received his indentures, he possesses a diploma far more potent as a me ans of assisting him to take an independent poeitioa among' his fellow men, than the diploma of many a profes sional man. But then in the colonies there id this difficulty. The sons are not easily induced to take up a trade, or in fact do any kind of work which they do not like. Too many of them declare their independence of parental oontrol as soon as chey are breeched, and after in the art of cigarette smoking, and learning to swear and' blaspheme with fluency and accuracy, they consider their education is so far complete that little more is necessary than the addition of a slight knowledge of billiards to make them fit to become " citizens and rulers in the State." We are glad to say that the exceptions are to be found among the ranks of the footballers and cricketers, who display all the manly virtues of their race, and in this they give a worthy example to the miserable, cigarette-smoking lads, who seem to shun any game or exercise which holds out a prospect of exertion to their muscles, or danger to their delicate skins. Of course, as these youths grow up to manhood they drift away on the ocean of life, and their place knows them no more, except they are heard of by some anxious parents whose affection for their offspring is seldom completely eradicated, however they may be disappointed m their children. But the State wants some return for the enormous sums apent on their education, and that return can only be given by the children becoming good men and women, law abiding and industrious. To attain the latter condition the young people must do a little themselves, and not lean entirely on their parents or the State to bring them up and educate them. True independence is what they should study to attain, and that independence can only be gained by putting shoddy pride in their pockets, and avoiding the " shabby genteel '" employments, which, at the present time, seem to possess so many charms for them .