About That Boy, Now---

Hokitika Guardian, 30 September 1922, Page 3

About That Boy, Now---

The Young New Zealander’s Future.

BY THE “OLD MAN.”

The probitionists have been piling on the “sob stuff” about the Boy. the Hope of the Nation, and all that sort of thing, bet’s sec what it’s all about.

Every hoy grows up into a man—cither a good man or .otherwise. 'I lie quality which makes the difference between the good man and other cliap we call “character.”

Character therefore, is built up between boyhood and manhood. Of course, if is building earlier and later as well, hut the growing-up period lietwoan 12 and 21 is the most important timu. How is character built ? \Y by are some men stronger and greater in charm ter than others:"

Character is tho product of heredity and environment. The strongest influences on character are home life and parental training:. School influences come next, then those of habitual companions. After these in importance may be placed the influences of everyday life—the opinions formed through nhsorva tion ol other people, of street happenings, travel, amusements end outside “occasions'’ m all kinds. Then there is reading. One of the most powerful factors in forming character is resistance to the various temptations of hfi . II theie were no temptations there could he no character. A liny is tempted h\ attractive food to eat too much: ho has been taught to resist temptation because over-eating is bad for him; he resists .and by repeated resistance he learns eontrul of appetite. He gets a hard knock on the playing Held; his impulse is to strike his opponent; he resists the impulse, and thus he learns control of temper. lie is tempted to “loaf” "lien be should be working; hr resists the altraeiion of laziness and thus learns .self-discipline. Some bovs are burn, weak of will, ol course, hut almost all of them are capable nl developing strength of character. Whether they do so or not depends almost, entirely upon the foundation that is laid in their minds

by parents. If they are taught selfcontrol and self-respect, the temptations they meet will but strengthen those qualities. In Ne’w Zealand no boy is at-pre-sent- subject to the temptation of indulgence at nil in strong drink until he K twenty-one veals of age—and then his character is substantially formed. To talk of the young boy being exposed to the awful temptations of drunkenness is to drivel. Boys cannot buy intoxicants in this country until they arc men. And if a hoy onee-in-a-'.vhiie sees a drunken man in sthe street, that does not “tempt” bim! Rather it presents a salutary warning to his mind. No sane person could imagine that a hoy would never • want to “imitate” any man who had indulged ill alcohol to excess. By 'the time the hoy has become a maii and may enter an hotel and buy a drink, he has learned the uses and the abuses of alcohol, lie knows what excess may lead to and ha is old enough and strung enough to control his appetites. , In short all this sentimental Boy business of the Prohibitionists is simply “slobber.” Young New Zealamd is not being nourished out ot pint pots in public bars. Young New Zealand is very strictly and very rightly—kept out of such places. But under Prohibiton it may he different. There are no age-limits to regulate the moonshiner and the *ly,,i'og merchant. In America many hoys nro engaged in tli« great underground Liquor-and-Drug Trade. Thousand* of boys and girls from 10 to 20 are numbered amongst the bootleggers’ “customers.” The young bloods hud “sport” in this ulandesfine drinking. The Licensed Trade, as we have it at present, affords the fullest protection t„ the voutli of this country. It is strictly regulated and caret idly watched. But under Prohibition we would have an Unlicensed Trade that we should not he able to regulate \iH “Tho Boy” he as well guarded then. Keep the Liquor Trade in the daylight! Yote for Continuance.*