Traveller.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 406, 18 February 1904, Page 2

Traveller.

POOD FOE THOUGHT. fk CONTENTED Immigrant (from (k rffla. Madgebnrg) gives furiously to o aMg think,' as the French say, Apropos of the declining birthrate in England, the 'lmmigrant' writes: «British offspring is now too far weak and delicate to succeed in the battle of life when competing with the hardy, vigorous, and virtuous immigrants from Germany, Scandinavia, and Bussia. The British working classes have become so enfeebled, by dissipation arising from their excessive prosperity during the last thirty-five years that they cannot produce strong and vigorous boys. The consequence is that England is overloaded with females, add with invalid males who have neither the ability nor the will to work or to immigrate.' It is from our critics we should learn, and this letter, disagreeable as it is, calls for a searching examination of the national conscience. It may not ba all true, but how much of it is true P Certainly we are not brought up as a nation to love work as the Germans are. We are more delicate all round. We live more luxuriously, and on our food, clothes, and amusements spend far more money than is spent on the Continent. The night IJread this disturbing letter I was aroused from sleep by the passage of brakes containing a party of riotous bean-feasters, singing out of tune to a discordant accompaniment. Every man of them was trunk'with the possible exception of the driver. What an idea of pleasure! How can those who habitually take such recreation expect to have 'hardy, vigorous' offspring? What is worse, the women, too, drink, so the ohi'dren are handicapped on both sides. Their forefathers drank, but they drank good beer, and their women were sober. Now spirits is in general use. Lately tne Duchess of Portland opened a hospital for children only, the sole institution of its kind in Europe, where little ones are treated who have been brought to death's door by improper feeding on the part of their parents. The ienorance, it was said, of fairly well-to-do mothers on the subject of diet was almost limitless, The Duchess spoke of having herself seen infants given plum, cake and strong tea. Sir F. Maurice told of a week-old baby fed on new bread, cabbage, and tea. A third case cited was of a baby who was given pickled cabbage, 'lmmigrant' may be right or wrong—he certainly is offensive, but obviously there is something defective in our methods of education when to a large jbody of our population nothing to do and plenty to drink represents elysium, and when mothers have not the most elementary notion of how a child should be fed, trained, or taught. Lately an experienced teacher in an Industrial School told me that a large percentage of i the girls under her care were handicapped by ill-health and nervous diseases of one kind or another, the result of their parents'intemperate habits and of want of care in early childhood. It is obvious that the question of health and power of work and love of industry is becoming of national importance, and that steps must be taken to improve in these respects*— London Correspondent.