TOPICS OF THE TIMES

Southland Times, Issue 18847, 12 June 1920, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE TIMES

Mr Ryan, truant inspector, presented an interesting report to the Otago Education Board on Thursday. It covers the employment of children on milk carts, the hours of work, the wages paid, etc. The details of 50 cases were given. Some of the most glaring arc as follow. — Hours Age. St. of work. Wages Years. Mths. passed, a.m. paid. 12 G 111 3.45-9 12/14 IV 3.45-9 12/13 1(1 111 4-8.30 10/13 S IV 5.8 G/11 9 111 5.30-8.45 6/11 G 111 4.30-9 works for father 13 G 111 5-8.30 5/11 9 11 5-8.45 4/-andmilk 11 9 111 3-5.15 el--12 6 111 3-8.30 works for father 13 G IV 5.30-9.30 5/-and milk 13 G V 3.15-8,30 5/12 2 IV 5.15-5.30 works for father In answer to a question Mr Ryan said 95 per cent, of the boys employed were normal. He would say that it was in consequence of their employment that they were in low classes compared with their ages. The Labour Department had asked him to supply a detailed report, and he had placed it before the board before submitting it to the Labour Department. The report has been forwarded to the Labour Department and to the Minister of Education. In the course of a letter to the Otago Daily Times Mr A. S. Malcolm, MJ?., puts forward a scheme of military training. “I urge,” he says, “that we should abolish, or at least suspend, the military system. In its place I would have the Education De-

partment adopt this system. In the city ■schools, and where possible in the country schools, all boys from the Fourth Standard upwards should be taught military drill. In the secondary schools more particular attention should be paid to making the boys thoroughly efficient N.C.O.’s. In each of the universities there should be a chair of military science, able, with the assistance of the other chairs, to train the, students to be thoroughly efficient officers. The various university colleges could specialise. For instance, Canterbury College could have a school for engineering and artillery officers. In the war we had fully-qualified surveyors and civil engineers serving in the ranks. In the schools, colleges, and universities I would give every'encouragement to shooting. Attendance a # t the suggested drills and classes would be compulsory on all males. At the universities the work would count for a degree. This proposal, it seems to me, would secure all that the league wants. Every male in New Zealand would be trained and well trained. The officers and N.C.O.’s would get a training much superior to their present (raining. They should be able to get a perfect training. As the work would lie done under the Education Department, with small additions to its present staff, it would cost the country almost nothing.”

Mr J. D. Hall, at the meeting of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association on Wednesday, gave the following comparative figures of freight rates, charged by shipping companies for homeward loading:— Pre-war 1920, rates. rates. Beef .. ff.lfid 1 11-Kid Mutton .... 11.16(1 1 13-lfid Land) . . . . 1210 d 1 15-16 d