EXODUS.
TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—l wish to give " Harapepe '' a little information which may be of use to him and others who are in the habit sf writing to The Waikako Times. " Harapepe '' refers to his IV Standard neighbour*. Are these inen really IV Standard ? Did they pass the IV Standard in a New Zealand public school, and then leave school to enter into business as farmers? I am a New Zealander, and I can assure you that a great deal is said about my countrymen that is not true. Only give us fair play, and you must admit that a great many sins we aie supposed to be quilty of are not committed by us, but are visited on us from the generation to which " Harapope " belongs. I am sure that I have the support of almost every colonial for the statements I am about to bring forword. There are very fow of us above 20 years of age, so that we are guilty of the crime of being " young men," We have not yet shown what we cau do ; sve have not had a fair chance yet. Many of us have passed VI Standard before the age of 15. We consider that it is a shame to put a boy to work before he is 14 at least. Bat parents cannot do without the help of their children. Why not ? Because our fathers—instead of providing for the future, as they should liavo donemarried at an early age and brought up a family without any means of supporting them until they were prepared to support themselves. The majority of our parents were respectable, but poor, and on coming to New Zealand were strangers in a strange land. They had a hard struggle at first, but times improved. The Government borrowed money and squandered it, saying that we would pay it. Our fathers borrowed money and spent it, saying their sons would be able to pay, We urn tlw sons ; our fathers are now noil producers. We have now to pay for their foil v. .Many of use are getting good wages. What are we doing with oar money ? Are wo trying to keep up to your Standard 0 ? No, we are not. Our fathers were Standard oto Standard 4. Are we spending our money in alchol ?No we are mostly abstainers. Are we married and bringing up families to do as we are doing 1 Not many of us. We have been paying our fathers debts, and helping to keep our little brothers and sisters and send them to school till they pass Standard VI. Yes, we believe in sending them to school. There is no such thing as over-education in our opinion. I have not given the causes of the exodus, I have been trying t« show " Harepepe " and his supporters who we are, that belong to Standard 6. Numbers are leaving the colony every year. Let them go ; we con do without them. Some years ago all the easy billets were filled by mein of Standard IV te Standard 0. Now our Standard VI boys are taking their places. The Stanard IV man cannot compete with a Standard VI boy. Standard IV leaves the Colony in disguest to seek a place where there is no VI. A Standard IV man or even Standard VI man with money gained—no matter how—finds that his sodr have to compete with the sons of poor men. He withraws his capital. We have hundreds of Standard IV men left: good workers. Let them follow him. When borrowed money w*s being spent here thnws and came to share tho spoil. Borrowed money is scarce now, they are out of work, they di'l not sate money in good time; let them clear out, Over-education is not to blame, If there ia any such thing it has little influence Standard VI Boys are not afraid of hard work, and they do not consider work a curse. Standard IV cannot keep within fight »f Standard VI in anything except conceit. Standard VI are trking up " wild laud," and making homes, and there are plenty of VI Standard girls growing up both ready and willing to be their wives.—'l am, &c,, Standard Seven.
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Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3017, 14 November 1891, Page 2
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706EXODUS. Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3017, 14 November 1891, Page 2
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