THESE ARE NEW ZEALAND CHILDREN!

Chronicle (Levin), 26 June 1947, Page 4

THESE ARE NEW ZEALAND CHILDREN!

■Press Association

I ^ By Telegraph-

-AUCKLAND, June 25. The worst cases of .malnutrition ever .received at CampbelPs Bay Health Camp are among the 31 children now in residence. • Pive are graded Q3 including three who have been allowed to reach a pitiful state of undernourishment. These and others are shoekingly underweig'ht and their limbs are reminiscent of pictures of European children vvaSted by -famine. They are gradually. overeoming an initial nervousness and timidity. | "These cases are . damning indictments of some modern parents," said the camp superintendent, Rev. A. Everill Orr. "Lack of care, fack of training, laek of -parehtal control, interest and love, are shamefully evident in certain instanees." Two of the "worst .cases in the .camp are -overgrown boys . suffering from acute malnutrition. Both are from middle-class families and their condition, according' to the matron, Mrs. A. Orr, is almost solely due to lack of parental attention and supervision .o'f diet. One child of eight told'the matron her.motker let her buy what she liked for her dimier and tea. A child at an earlier-camp said fts parents gave each of three children 2s 6d when they came'home from school with inst'ructions not t q show themselves nntil dark. >Some - of the children are -as .much as - 321bs. underiWeight dn admission'to the camp.