YOUNG PEOPLE’S LIVES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 671, 25 October 1933, Page 6

YOUNG PEOPLE’S LIVES

ALLEGATION OF MISBEHAVIOUR 'NOT JUSTIFIED BY FACTS ! VOCATIONAL OFFICER'S VIEW Dunedin, Monday. Allegations of drinking and other evil habits among young people were dealt with by Mr. T. Conly, vocational guidance officer, at a meeting at Dunedin, reports the Otago Daily Times. He said that he met 800 to 1000 youths and girls each year, and i he had confidential talks with about half of them, and he thought they were all right. No one had apparently thought it necessary to make any comment on these allegations, and they had therefore decided to let them go without any answer. They should remember that there were 1000 pupils attending the TechnicaJ College and some 1200 at the University, and they would not have much time to indulge in this sort of thing. The men who had made the allegations were, he thought, speaking too widely. Letters had also appeared in the newspapers regarding the employment of farm boys, and in this instance also they had thought it better to make no answer. He would like to say now, however, that the boys who had been sent to the farms were well satisfied with the treatment they were receiving. They had received no complaints from parents, and farmers had not made any complaints. Why, therefore, should they worry about the letters which appeared ip the newspapers? The, point had been discussed by them, and they had decided at the time to take no notice of the letters. Farmers were sending to them for boys, and at the present time he had only two boys available to go to the country. The fact remained, remarked the speaker, that, despite the statements by a clergyman in Dunedin recently about pre-sent-day young people, large numbers of boys and' .girls went every night to schools to study^