Foundation ceremony

The official opening of the Cosy Dell Lawn Tennis Club's courts. - Otago Witness, 7.10.1919.
The official opening of the Cosy Dell Lawn Tennis Club's courts. - Otago Witness, 7.10.1919.
The ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the Maheno and Marama Drill Hall, at the University, took place yesterday afternoon in the presence of a fairly large number of ladies and gentlemen, the University and military authorities being strongly represented.

Dr Cameron (Chancellor of the University) extended a warm welcome to his Excellency the Governor-general, and expressed the indebtedness of the University to his Excellency for the efforts he had made in its behalf, which had resulted in something approaching 9000 being obtained for the erection of the hall.

He mentioned that last year they had had 950 students studying the classes, which he thought was a remarkable evidence of the work carried on. He mentioned that 573 students and members of the staff had joined the Expeditionary Forces, and of these 104 had made the great sacrifice.

Of those who had joined 64 had received decorations, and he thought the University had rendered very great service during the war.

Causes of juvenile crime

Christchurch: Mr M'Carthy, S.M., when dealing with some youthful burglars, briefly expressed his opinion regarding the cause of juvenile crime, which appears to have broken out in epidemic form in Christchurch lately.

The fact that the average of all the juvenile cases for the year ended June 30 was 52, whereas for the quarter ended September 30, but only including cases heard up to September 10, the number was 128, indicates clearly enough the seriousness of the position to-day.

Speaking to a Star reporter, Mr M'Carthy gave his opinion as a magistrate on such matters in more detail than when speaking from the bench. In the first place, he said, ''we have an absence of religious training. Most of the parents born in the dominion have been brought up under the system of purely secular education, and it is having its effect in many homes to-day.

There is an absence of parental control and of home training directly leading to the production of children having very few ideas of what is right and what is wrong. In many cases, the father spends his evenings in a club or an hotel and leaves a tired wife with a number of unruly boys.''

Mr M'Carthy was careful to explain that he made no attack on the system of secular education which, so far as it went, was good. If a right use were made of the text books used in the schools, the moral training could be and was inculcated by the teachers themselves.

The freedom with which boys and girls of tender age were allowed to walk the streets at all hours without control, he regarded as another cause of youthful crime.

Mail eaten by rats

A question about the mails which came by the Athenic, a considerable proportion being devoured by rats, was asked in the House of Representatives yesterday.

The ship carried little cargo, and the mails were placed at the bottom of the holds, where vermin attacked them and did a considerable amount of damage.

The New Zealand postal authorities had taken precautions to prevent a recurrence of such a misadventure.

- ODT, 2.10.1919.

COPIES OF PICTURE AVAILABLE FROM ODT FRONT OFFICE, LOWER STUART ST, OR WWW.OTAGOIMAGES.CO.NZ

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