HIS LONG HOLIDAY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 719, 19 July 1929, Page 1

HIS LONG HOLIDAY

DODGING SCHOOL TO FISH FROM WHARF ELUDING TRUANT OFFICER Devonport has its own Huckleberry Finn. He has not been to school for nearly a year, and spends his time fishing from the wharf and eluding truant officers and constables. Mr. A. S. Small, truant officer, gave some idea of the halcyon days enjoyed by this 11-year-old boy when he brought a charge of failing to enrol his child at school against the boy’s father at the Police Court this morning. “The boy is running wild and never goes to school,” said Mr. Small. He spends his time fishing on the Devonport Wharf. I took him to school, and he ran away immediately. Once I was chasing him and he ran over a swamp where I would have sunk in the mud had I attempted to follow him.” 1 Mr. Small said he had enlisted the aid of the police and that they were thinking of making a concerted descent on the young offender to catch him on the wharf. “I have been five times to the house,” added the prosecutor. In answer to Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., Mr. Small said that the father had other children going to school and that their attendance had been fair, although they had all been absent yesterday. The minimum fine of 5s and 10s costs was imposed.