E.—ll

3

at fault rather than insufficiency. Bread and tea make a common but unsatisfactory breakfast, and articles bought cooked, as pies, fish and chips, cooked meats, are often the basis for an inadequate but expensive lunch. Some mothers have not time, or strength, or money enough to give their children a fair chance from a health point of view; others have not the knowledge or concern to make the best of the opportunities they have. Some city children are also handicapped by overwork. Thus in one city school, in Standard VI, ten out of forty-four boys are wage-earners; in Standard V, twenty-nine out of sixty-four boys are wage-earners; in Standard IV, nine out of sixty-one boys are wage-earners. Many of these boys have no leisure time, and are physically and mentally weary during schoolhours. The following lists give hours of work and wages received by school-boys in three classes of one city school in which an investigation was made : —

Age. Work. Wage. Time occupied. Standard VI. 1. 13 years . . 2. 14 ' „ 3. 14 „ 4. 13 ,, 5. (i. 14 years .. Message-boy Telegraph boy . . Newsboy 6s. per week 7s. 6d. ,, 7s. (id. ,, 5s. (id 16s. £1 4-6 p.m. daily ; 8 a.m.-l p.m. Saturday. 4-7 p.m., plus 5 hours Saturday. 4-7 p.m., plus 5 hours Saturday. 4.50-7 p.m. nightly and { hour Saturday, selling papers. 6-7.45 a.m. (9s.) and 4-6.30 p.m. (7s.), selling papers. Distributes 16 dozen morning papers (12s. Od.j, and 10 dozen evening papers (7s. 6d.). 8-8.45 a.m., 4-6 p.m., daily ; 8-1 p.m. Saturday. Collects money for papers weekly. Works 4-5.30 p.m. nightly ; 9.30 a.m.-noon Saturday. Works 4-7 p.m. nightly, and 5 hours Saturday. 7. 13 ,, 8. 13 ,. 9. 13 ,. 10. 14 „ Message-boy Newsboy-Message-boy Telegraph boy . . (is. 5s. 5s. (id. 7s. (id. Standard V. 1. 13 voars .. 2. 13 „ .. Message-boy Newsboy (is. Is. for each dozen of one paper sold — sells 6-9 dozen ; 6d. for each dozen of another paper sold —sells 2 dozen daily 4-6 p.m. daily ; 8 a.m.-l p.m. Saturday. 5.30-8 a.m. daily, selling papers ; Friday, 4-9 p.m., selling papers ; Saturday, 5.30-8 a.m. and 9 a m.-noon, selling papers ; afternoon to 5 p.m. goes to Fullers' and sells papers, then home to tea; sells papers in street until 9.15 p.m. 3. 11 ,. .. I. 12 „ .. Office-boy-Newsboy 3.45-5.15 p.m. daily ; 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Saturday. Selling papers, 5 a.m.-8 a.m. (4s. fid.) ; 3.45-6 p.m. (5s.) ; 7.30-9.15 p.m. Friday, and all day Saturday on street or in Fullers' to 9.15 p.m. (6s.). 4-6 p.m. daily ; 8.30 I p.m. Saturday. 4-6 p.m. daily ; 8-1 p.m. Saturday. 8-8.45 a.m. and 3.45-5 p.m. daily ; 8-11.45 a.m. Saturday. 4-6 p.m. daily. 2 hours Saturday morning. Distributes 13 dozen papers nightly ; collects for 3.1 hours weekly. Sells 20 dozen papers nightly, 4-8 p.m. (7s.); 4 dozen papers weekly (2s.). 4-6 p.m. daily ; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. 4-5.30 p.m. daily ; 8 a.m.-l p.m. Saturday. Distributes 62 papers nightly. On cart 4.30-7 p.m. 5s. per week 15s. (id. 5. 12 „ (i. 13 „ • ■ 7. 12 „ .. 8. 12 „ .. 9. 12 „ .. 10. 12 „ .. Message-boy (is. 5s. ,, 5s. ,, (is. (id. „ Is. 7s. (id. Newsboy Message- boy Newsboy II. 12 „ .. 9s. 12. 12 ., .. I.'!. 12 ., .. 14. 13 „ .. 15. II „ .. Message-boy 8s. (id. (is. 5s. (id. 3s. (id. Hi. 12 „ .. 17. 12 „ .. 18. 11 „ .. 19. 20. 12 years .. Newsboy Baker's boy, works for father Newsboy Message-boy Newsboy Message-boy Milkboy and mes-sage-boy Newsboy Message-boy-£1 (is. ,, (is. os. (id. 7s. (id. From 5.30 a.m. sells 8 dozen papers daily. 3.30-5 p.m. daily ; 8 a.m.-l p.m. Saturday. Sells papers, 4.30-6 p.m. I hour daily ; 2-J hours Saturday. Milk-cart 4.30-8 a.m. (5s.;; grocer-boy for about | hour daily (2s. 6d.). Distributes 106 papers daily. For drapery store, 8-8.45 a.m. daily; 7-9 p.m. Friday ; 8 a.m.-l p.m. Saturday. Distributes 12 dozen papers daily (lj hours). Message-boy, 4-5.30 or 6 p.m. daily, 9 a.m.-l p.m. Saturday (5s.). Newsboy, 5.30-7.5 a.m. (5s. (id.). Delivers 18 to 20 papers nightly. Sells papers, 15 dozen nightly, 4.30-6 p.m. Delivers milk, 5.45-7.30 a.m. (5s.); sells papers 3.30-8 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, and makes about 5s. Sells papers 4.30-8 p.m. daily. Sells papers 5-6.30 a.m. (12s. 6d.) ; sells papers nightly to 6.30 p.m. (7s. (id.). 21. 12 „ .. 22. 12 ,. OS. ,, (is. 23. 12 „ .. 24. 13 „ .. Newsboy Message-boy and newsboy Newsboy 7s. 10s. (id. 25. 12 „ .. 26. 12 ., 27. 12 „ .. M i 1 k b o y and newsboy Newsboy Is. (is. (id. 10s. 28. 13 ., .. 29. 13 „ .. 7s. (id. £1 Standard I V. 1 .. 2 . . 3 .. 4 .. 5 .. 6 . . Message;-boy Newsboy Message-boy (?) £1 per week 5s. ,, 5s. ,, 8s. Gets 2s. in £1 sold.. 2 hours daily. 4-10.45 p.m. Friday ; 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday. 4-9 p.m. Friday ; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. 2 hours daily. 8-8.45 a.m., 4-5.30 p.m., daily. 7.10-9 p.m. nightly. 7 . . ■ ■ ". . 8 .. 9. ... Sweet - seller at Fullers' Message-boy Office-boy Sweet -. seller at theatre 5s. Od. per week 5s. Od. 2s. in £1 sold ., 8-8.40 a.m. and 3.30-6 p.m. 4-5.30 p.m. 7-8.45 p.m. nightly.