PHSIOUE OF NEW ZEALANDERS

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 562, 17 July 1909, Page 12

PHSIOUE OF NEW ZEALANDERS

school drill and liedical exam- '■\:>.;:';:;■;■.;;;/: ( ination.^^.';v;v^; : ;;. : ::v.'; At a recent meeting'' holdL at Christchurch to ..' discuss the . 6tatemente ; ;; of Comtnatfder Blunt regarding the physique 6f;;New Zealanders, Mr.-,-. F. :A.', Horni'brook, a physical ; training expert,. ■ said the.; comman J'jr's. figures; showed ~ the '-..need for..a\ thorough,,investigation \of the causes of serious > ! defsets in our national physique. - One potent cause of phyeical,-.. evil among New Zealanders was the habit of loafing round Btreot corners, whioh involved physical rot and physical decay. The xigarette.habit, and Especially tho inhalation-of cigarette smoke; twas also a cause of ovil, and , "tippling" had also, to ,be 'considered. The amount ■of actual : tippling was;. far creator here than in the' Old Country, land far more contihuous. X)n the, question'; of athletics, Mr. Hornibrook; referred 'to - the preponderance of lobkerenon : over- players.. There was not , too much football; played, but thore was too much football 'talk in ; this •country'.y The inoßt important'subject of, all in regard to national physique was;the!\\ontilation of : dwelling places, working.; places; , and, above all, schools, lne present system of physical .drill in schools was comparatively worthless..mHc .quoted figures showing that the type of man tliat the colonies were producing was. taller and heavier, though ..', not heavier in proportion"-to his height tnan ; the man produced.; in England and America.: Eo ? latively to-his , height; the colonial' was a lighter man.. Although these .figures were on tho whole fairly satisfactory,, still tuey were ■ not nearly; as good as they ought. to be. The crux of the whole matter, layi in tho. fact that thfero was no adequate system of national physical and military training; They waiitod a system of enrolment whereby every, man wlio was - physically fit should reooivo so much physical training per 'annum'/ '•;•'.'.- ; Mr.T. E. Taylor, 'M.P., pointed ouf.that 'tho Germans had systematic'inspection , of thek school-children, and so should we. Defects could be remedied in'childhood which could not boremoved at; 14 or 15 years.. Whatever scheme tho Premier, brought back in connection with our defenceya system of medical oxamination of' the children of ; tho ,'country should -bo : dealt jWith. at the ■saino ■time. -'The medical examination should . include oxamination of • the. children's teeth, 1 and public dentists' should be ; appointed to ■ see to tho teeth of children .whose'parcnte could not pay. for such services/. The way, to'produce, good all-round men; with average physical measurements was to EUhstitute a system of scientifib physical exorcises for the silly system of semi-military • drill exercises that tho children were now submitted to. after": the fourth standard was He would clovate the subject of. domestio ,eoonom.V- on the girle', side into tho most- impor 7 taiit question until the girls loft school. TlieV should be: fitted as' Tar as possible'.to disouarge the .duties of wifehood and motherhood instead of being taught thincs whioh 'they forgot as soon as they left lichool. ;,'