HEALTH OF CHILDREN.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14980, 29 May 1914, Page 8

HEALTH OF CHILDREN.

— 9 «. TO THX\KDITOB or "THE FMS3." Sir,—The- statistics given in paper regarding tho health of *. cbildrou, and your leader of yesterday upon them, ought 3 ono would thiak ) to make even the most ardent an! ' holder of tho sandwich-and-banem habit pauso and reflect, though fee*, haps that's a sanguine view to t*te when ouo remembers tho people in ifc e "Water Babies," whoso attitirto ta useful infoi-niation was put to their fingers in their cars auu cr\ "jjun'l tell us." But it is a surprising thins to notice how many nne-lookniff tiny children one sees—and how often latGr ' they become pasty and ■ ing. That is, it is surprising until one' '• observes more. Then ono £ surprised ~ no longer, for they have much to stni» i glo up against There is tho tmned- ' lood habit, which is "so much lees " ! trouble; ,, , tho "soft drinks" and per- j petnal tea-pot. Extraordinarily little '■■ milk seems to suffice th© averagt family. Anothor thing is tho constant hurry. As your correspondent points out, there, is very little alternative a many instances between the sandwich and accompaniments., and a hurried * rush to a meal, a gulping down of tie same, and a race back. ; s , Agnin, there is tho want of a eottained background of homo life-* thing unconsciously restful to children. Tho recent clever sketch in tho "&ening Kews" must have .made many inarticulate folk do like the man who bad his prayers printed, and morning 'and ovjening murmured ".My sentiments, ,, with an explanatory way* of tho hand towards the card. When dad is due. at a C.E.M.S.' meeting, and mother at a parish,-.gathering, and T>oris at a choir practice, and Alan and Dora at tho grehearsal for the L Y.J.X.Z. fund, and Tommy at a guild, and . Willie and Lucy learning the Tiny Tots dance for tho school concort—why, ? thon,: oP course the baby goes out too' " Everybody's baby does, and besides, if * children do get a bit tired, they're * young. '.-'■) , So they are, and Nature., knowing, . they've all their growth and development to make, and what demands jt ~" makes on them, .stored them with * energy accordingly. But though yon ~ 4 niay have an excellent sum of money —* in tho bank, if you draw it all out and * spend" it recklessly, and persist in still running up bills, in the end yoj'ro bankrupt. You'vo nothing that is to meet current expenses. I don'tVthink «• people mean to do it, but Ido think % that often childron are exploited quite as much in some ways as, they over * were in the factories, of which people "> speak witli well-deserved indignation. * I -was rather amused at your correspondent's shocked surmiso ■ that somo parents could never look at their children's teeth but when they had toothache. In a good many instances tho ~dentist is ono of the household 'ecoßo- - roies. The. pictures"? Yes; The theatre? Yes. Sale bargains? Yes. Mornmfc tea? Yes.. The dentist?.- Really I i don't sco how we can afford a great dentist's bill. AH children have tooth-_ ache —why, -J remember.. •. . . £ I have not touched on the passion ; for sending children to school at five *. years old, shutting them up in rooms and "training" them io "observe" ■* this and "think" that, and fog over ~, tho other; nor yet upon tho more pas- * sionate desire that children should at- >l tend school whether fit or unfit, well or ill; or other kindred matters, be- \ cause, well! because when I read of - the new homo for children who are „ liable to consumption (good "work as» * it is) I reflected on tho incessant mann» facturo of such children* that, was goiug -; on. It reminded mc of the. old woman who knew that it brought certain misfortune to look at the new moot! through glass. So she : went all over V the house and took no end of trouble.. ' and gave the others no end of trouble — -. so as to havo every window open at tho-right time, but sho forgot to tale '.. v "her spectacles offJ. She was used to z them;* they'd become second nature;*' .and sho said :-r"TVell noTi—l neverji-' thought."—Yours, etc., , * ■ . ONLOOKER. T May 27th. __ TO THE EMTOB OF "THE P8853." > j-. Sir, —I was very interested in »rf column of Tuesday morning*. "Press." *J~ The members of the Education Board, - Wellington, suggest that medical in- t > specters should draw up hints to par- \j cuts, as to what kind of food is euitable for tho children. First-class ad- , vice, and well meant, but what use to, us mothers" if we have not that kind' " j of food in tho cupboard to give the children? I am v mother of o child- y ren, some of them not very fctroiljj. I was* born in a suburb of this city over 30 years ago,- and X cannot Tβ- fmember tho foot! dearer than at pre-, t sent. Butter at Is -id—l make it fipfo out with the addition, of a little or lard. Eggs are at impossible prices * for the working-man'• or his family; '' milk is dearer, and also cream (the -» latter we do without); meat at what price goodness knows. Bread at tie price (7Jd some places) will soon w fj beyond the reach of some of us; afl<* what puzzles mc greatly is the - amount of produce out of the country by export of buttor, eggs, cheese, etc. , while tho children of our cities and'" towns should be allowed to go, neany v the half of them, ill-nourished for i want of good, wholesome food (througa the high "price of goods). .. I do what I can for my children. They have had _ several minor operations to noses» teeth, etc.; but they really require &, better class of food and nioie of «i 1 as eggs, cream and butter. A lady - fold mc to give them a good court© of a certain emulsion. While thankful * for advice I could not very well tell her ~ I had not the money to buj it -with. < The home to bn for consumptive child- , ren (very too) will not qutte *■* cover all requirements if the children „ cannot get good food to form muscle, brain and bones, instead of make-shut meals we mothers often have to devise for them. Prevention is sureh better than we.

May 27th.