A MOTHERS' COTTAGE.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18414, 22 June 1925, Page 2

A MOTHERS' COTTAGE.

ADJUNCT TO KARITANE HOSPITAL. FOUNDATION STONE LAID. The ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the Mothers' Cottage at the Karitane HospitaT, Cashmere, which was performed 011 Saturday afternoon by the Hon. Sir R. Heaton Rhodes, Minister of Defence, was attended by a large number of those interested in the welfare of Eabies and by members of the Plunket Society. The Minister of Health, Sir Maui Pomare, was to have performed the ceremony, but at the lest moment he found it impossible to le present. Amongst the large number present were:—Sir Heaton and Lady Rhodes, Mrs J. CTaeroft Wilson (president of the Christchureh branch of the Plunket Society), the .Mayor and Mayoress (Mr and Mrs J. K. Archer), Dr. T. Fletcher Telford (Medical Officer of Health), Dr. R. B. Phillipps-(Schools' .Medical Officer) and Mrs Phillipps, Messrs C. Flnvell (chairman) and W. Kerr and W. W. Scarff (members) of tlie Hcathcote County Council, Mr J. j! cC'ombs, M.P., and Mrs McCombs, Mr 'H. D. Acland, Dr. and Mrs Chas. Chilton, Mesdames E. Harris, J. H. B'lackwell, R. G. Wolff, Gray, A. P. Strang,. J. Cunningham, H. R. Smith, Ogilvie, Orbell, Preston, Bellamy, Pascre, Day, Denham, T. W. Cane, J. Stevenson, H. Acton-Adams, W. Ingle. A.' H. Bristed, Cecil Wood, E. J. Cordner, A. 11. Blnxam, L. Clark, E. Harper, and Mr and Mi'? Denis Chapman, Mr and Mrs Leslie, Dr. and Mrs B. H. Dr. and Mvp, Pairman, Mr and Mrs J. Rutledgo, Mr and Mrs G. Lu"as, Mr and Mrs; McAuliffe. Mr and Mrs J. S. Neville, Miss Fryer, 'Miss Hines. Apologies for absence, were received from Sir Truby King, the Hon. D. Buddo, Dr. F." V. Bevan-Brown, Dr. A. C. Sandstnn. the Hon. Mrs Ta.hu Rhodes. Mrs M. H. Godby. Mrs Blunden, Mesdames H. A. Knight &nd R. Wright, of the Dnrfield branch, and Mr and Mrs J. A. Flesher. Just before the proceedings started Lady Rhodes was nreented with a bouquet by Master Peter Gilmour.

Mrs J. Oncroft Wilson, president of the Christchurch bran.h of the Plunket Society, in welcoming those present, said that the occasion was a red letter day in the history of the Kari-t-ane Hospital. She announced the apologjes received, and said that sJesdames Knight and Wright had hoped to be present to lay the contribution of £SO from Malvern County on the foundation' stone. They had hoped that Sir Maui Pomare would lmve laid the foundation stone, but he had telegraphed to sav that he was unable to he present. They had appealed to Sir Heaton Rhodes, who, with his usual kindness, although. he ought to have been in Wellington that day, had altered his plans in order to be present to lay the foundation stone. They were glad to have him with them, not only because lie- was one of the hardest working members of Parliament that Canterbury had ever had, but also because he brought Lady Rhodes with him. There was a ward in the hospital called after Lady Rhodes, who had been'a 'Continuous benefactor to the 'ho-Spital,' which, but for her kindness, would riot- be in the position it was at present. (Applause.) Although, the Karitane Hospital was not in Greater Christchurch —andslie was not sure that they wished to be in Greater Christchurch—they were very glad to welcome Mr Archer; Mrs Archer was a member of the committee and they were glad to. have the. help of both Mayor aml'Mayoress. She extended a welcome also. tp members of branches and sub^brandies' who had- worked so wonderfully and so splendidly in connexion with the Mothers' Cottage scheme. They regretted the absence of Mrs Overton, president cf the Leeston branch : they all sympathised with her in her bereavement. The treasurer was alsi> unable to be present, but she . had stated- that • where all, lia r l' done nobly, Leeston had done the noblest in the matter of contributing to the funds. Last yenr Sir Truby King had made out a table of deaths of babies, -which .showed that 25,000 babies were borne in New Zealand every year: in 1907, when the Plunket Society started; the death rate whs 7 <per cent.; at that rate they lost 1750 babies annually; the rate was now 4 per cent., and if 3 per cent, was realised in 1930 —which was the rate Sir Truby King had always aimed at—they wou'd only lose 7GO annually; therefore, 1000 _ lives wo.uld be saved annually, eyen if the population remained stationary. It was generally admitted . that babies were the ljes't immigrants, and if they produced a thousand immigrants yearly., they would have shown some reason | for their existence. In order to have healthy babies they must have healthy mothers, and therein existed th© necessity for the Mothers'- Cottage. The first gift to the-funds for the building came from the present representative I of the first fa-niily itt Canterbury—Mrs John Deans —wljo had started the fund with a subscription of £2OO. The former matron, Miss A. Lindsehaw, had been a great inspiration in the work, and when she went away she left five sovereigns and a four-leafed shamrock to be placed on the foundation stone. I As they would notice, a little cot had been placed on the top of the stone to receive their contributions to the funds. Mrs Cracroft Wilson contradicted the report she had heard was in circulation to the effect that babies whose parents or guardians were unable to pay had been refused admisr sion to the hospital. She wished to say emphatically that such a statement was not true: babies had been refused admission when suffering fyom diseases that could not be treated at the Karitane Hospital. When necessary the question of payment was. gone into and suitable reductions were made. Mrs B. U. Gjlmour was th© real origiator of the Mothers' Cottage, and no praise could be too high, for the wholehearted way in which she had worked up the movement. Her reward would be that many mothers would bless the name of Mrs Gilmour when they saw it at the start of the Honours Board.

History of the Idea. Mrs Gilmour said that it fell to her lot to give a short history of the cottage. The very first person, to suggest it uras LMiss Lindschaw, the previous matron. She (the speaker) had been visiting a mother at the Karitane Hospital and Miss Lindschaw haul said to her: "The very next thing we want at Karitane is a mothers' cottage." She had ; remarked, rather lightly, that this was easier said than. done. Miss Lindschaw had replied quickly: # "Oh, no; if it is understood that it is for the good of mothers, the cottage will he built.'" She would always remember Miss Lindschaw as the first mover in the matter. "When remits were being prepared for the conference of representatives of the Plunket Society, she had suggested one regarding the necessity for a Mothers' Cottage to Mrs Godby, and after consulting Mrs Bristad (their acting-president, in the absence in England of Mrs Cracroft "Wilson), who had enthusiastically supported the suggestion, the remit was sent forward from the Lyttelton branch. Mrs Gilmour described how enthusiastically the matter had- teen taken up by the branches and by the committee set up, of which Mrs Cecil

"Wood was secretary and Mrs Godby treasurer: she paid a high tribute to the wise counsel given l>y Mrs Cecil Wood; Mr A. H. Bristed and the Tress of Christchurcli liad given much space to .the idea ami assisted in making tlie appeal known far and wide. They all knew, she said, that in helping tho nursing mother they were helping forward the work Sir Truby King had so much at heart. .Airs Gilmour referred to the inconvenience nursing mothers were under when accommodated in one of the wards of the h:spital, and spoke of the great assistance given to the project for the erection of a. Mothers' Cottage by Mrs Cracroft Wilson; immediately she heard of it she gave it her wholehearted support. Mr G. T. Lucas, the architect, was so interested that- lie was giving his fees as a donation. (Applause.) In* fact, everywhere they had met with the greatest assistance; the general public had helped wonderfully well. Sir .Maui Pcmare had been very helpful, and had given tlieai support and encouragement: the Government had been very kind in a substantial gift of money towards the eqst of the building. She found it difficult to adequately express their appreciation of the manner in which the country branches hnd helped: they had' been wonderful in giving to something quite outside their sphere of work. It would be right, also, to pay a tribute to Sir Truby King for handing over this great work to ths women of New Zealand, and in this case, as in most cases, they .bad responded in a wonderful way. Turning to Sir Heaton Rhodes, Mrs Gilmour said that she felt it wss a very great honour and an exceeding pleasure to ask him to accept a mallet wherewith to lay the foundation stone. (Applause.)

THE MINISTER'S SPEECH. GOVERNMENT SYMPATHY WITH PLUNKET SOCIETY. Sir Heaton Rhodes, who was received with 'applause, offered his grateful thanks to the committee for presenting him with such a handsome mallet; he would keep it with his other trophies and treasure it as another link in his connexion with the work of the Plunket Society and, through the Society, another link in liis friendship with its ■founder, Sir Truby King. To the apologies mentioned by Mrs Cracroft Wilson, he would like to add an apology from Sir Truby King who, in telegraphing to him and thanking him for undertaking the ceremony, had asked him to apologise for his absence and to state that there was nothing he would. have liked better than to have been present. It was an ill-wind that had prevented Sir Maui Pomare leaving the North Island, but it had been a fair. and pleasant breeze that had brought him (the speaker) there that day. He thoroughly appreciated the honour of being asked to lay the foundation stone of the Mothers' Cottage, and lie desired to thank the committee for asking him to do so. Although he had laid quite a number of foundation stones, nothing had given him greater pleasure than to lay this one. It always gave him pleasure 'to lay the foundation stones of hospitals: this institution was akin and was something more Because it would save future members of the race going so often to the hospital. It gave him great pleasure to be connected with the ceremony, because his wife had been so closely in touch with tho institution 6inco its establishment and she was-to-day patron of the Christchurch Branch of the Plunket Society. The Minister of Health, Sir Maui Pomare, would have been able to speak with greater : authority than he_was able to do, and to give fact and .figures. But he (the speaker) could not plead entire ignorance, seeing that from 1912 till he resigned in 1915, he was Mia?*ter of Health. When he looked bae'-: to those days and thought of the small amounts that Cabinet passed for the Plunket Society, and when he thought of last year's Estimates which provided £20,905 for the Society, he realised the manner in which it had progressed. The attitude of some members of the medical profession and of some departmental officers had changed since those days: he was not saying that members of the medical profession in thosß days looked on the "Plunket , Society with hostility; they seemed rather to doubt its efficiency and its possibility of' doing good-; as to the Department there was not. in those days, that warm feeling towards the Society that existed to-day. But whatever had been the attitude of the members of the medical profession and of the Department, the Society had always had a good friend in the Leader of the Cabinet: in Mi- Massey the Society had always a good friend and a warm supporter. So with other Ministers of Health —the Hon. G. W. Russell, Sir James Parr, and Sir Maui Pomare; the two lastmentioned always spoke, with enthusasm in Cabinet of the work of the Society, and had pointsd out the national character of the work _ being done, and hr.d stood up for Parliament realising its financial obligations in respect of the Society.

Government's Financial Support. As he had mentioned, the vote_ to the Societv last year was £25^905; this year the Society was asking Tor 110 less than £34,943: that sum had not yet been approved but they had given some consideration to it in Cabinet, and was down /for further . consideration when the Estimates were being drawn up. "I say this to you members of the Society," "the Minister added, "as in the past you have been treated well by Cabinet, wait and see, and wait without any undue, apprehension." (Applause.) He was not lnaking any definite promise—he was not the Minister in charge, or he might bo able to speak more authoritatively—but he was only speaking from his knowledge of the feelinjz of Cabinet towards the Society. The question was to what extent the expenditure would grow. They would not rest content with the present home; it would grow and there would be increased expenditure: and there would be further maternity hospitals—one was suggested at Invercargi.il at the present time. At present the Government was subsidising Plunket. Nurses to the extent of £15,000, or thereabouts, and they were told that if the whole Dominion was thoroughly j served with Plunket N arses the ex- | pendituro would be about £20,000 per annum. They could foresee that, but they could not foresee the demarids that might be mane in respect of Karitane Hospitals: the Minister of Health irtended to obtain information on that point from members of the Society. He knew full well that they would make great efforts to raise voluntary subscriptions—they had' already raised vast sums; they had raised an amount equal to the £15,000 towards the salaries of the Christcliureh district nurses; but as regards contributions towards Karitane hospitals they fell far short of what the Government had granted; in respect of Karitane hospitals Sir Maui Pom are would welcome similar efforts to those made in respect of the nurri?.Si. The Government should not begrude'tho expenditure because they knew that the money was wiell 'spent); and they acknowledged fully the work done by the Society; Mrs Cracroft Wilson and Mrs Gilmour had dealt with that work and it wouid be superfluous for him to touch on it.

Funds for the Mothers' Cottage. They hsid been told that Sirs Gilmour had teen the prime mover in raising funds for the Mothers' Cottage, the country branches co-operating; so that from Oxford to Ashburton not' less than £IOOO was raised. The Government had granted £SOO. That he was

led to believe, was a mistake: the Mm ister was asked to provide £ toi but there was some misapprehension, and he made a straightout . T ° te ,? £SOO. He intended going ,mty> tins matter with Sir Maui tomare on hu return to Wellington. that if they got • another £SOO from the. Government it would, about oo\e the cost of the building: there would be the futnitnre to be provided. Ihey knew the objects of the. Mothers Cottage—a home for mothers while their babies were receiving attention m the Karitane Hospital. They would, be instructed how to treat their babies iina would learn other matt;-* as regards their own duties and methods of living. Those who had b&en associated Avith Sir Truby King for many years knew the enthusiasm that he and Lady King had put into the movement, the worth of which was generally recognised • it had received the support ot tne Prime Minister and the Minister ot Health. He thought that Mr Masse? acted wisely when he took Sir * Tu w King from his previous, office and put him in charge of the movement, llhe Minister referred briefly to the adoption, of the principles underlying the movement by Great Britain, Canada, South Africa and other countries, and saiu thait this fully justified the work ox the Society. He hoped would go on and flourish: Sir TruDy King would need 110 other monument than the Karitane Hospitals, and the Plunket Nurses. Above all a healthy race, a healthier race than now,- would be a still greater monument of his great work. (Applause.) The Minister then declared the stone "well and truly laid." (Applause.)

The Mayor's Remarks. The Mayor said that both in his official capacity and in his personal capacity it gave him very great pleasure to be present and to offer a few words of congratulation to the ladies in this forward step. As to Mrs Cracroft Wilson's remarks about Greater Christchurch, he feared that the City made a fraudulent use of the district, because when they wanted to show prominent visitors about the City they brought them to the Cashmere Hills. So, for the sake of the City, Cashmere should come in right away ! Mr Archer referred at some lengtli to the work 01 the Society" and urged Sir Heaton Eliodes to promise it the additional £SOO, so that it would have only tne money required for the furnishing to find. ' , Sir Heaton Rhodes: I make no promise; I am not in a position to do so. On the motion of Mrs Cracroft Wilson, and by acclamation, a vote _ot thanks was kccorded. the Minister for his attendance. . A vote of thanks, moved by »«• Heaton Rhodes, was accorded by acclamation to Mrs Cracroft Wilson. This concluded the formal ceremony. Afterwards those present were served with afternoon tea, and the opportunity was taken advantage of to inspect the hospital and the babies.