MOTHERS' DAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1747, 12 May 1913, Page 2

MOTHERS' DAY.

ADDRESS BY DR. PLATTS-MILLS. "Mothers' Day," which was originated as a day to be set asido as ono when tho you ii" man will specially remember his mother, was observed yesterday, when a spccial gathering was held in tho x.M.C.A. Tho chair was occupied by .Mrs. A. u. Atkinson, and amongst those present wero his Worship tho M°s"9Ji ' " Luke) and Mr. J. G. W. Aitken. A together the gathering numbered considerablv over 100. . ] hiring the afternoon an address was delivered by l)r. Plutts-Alills, who remaiked that all over tho world that day, wherever a branch of tho existed, the name of "mother" was being uttered ill tones of reverence and respect Dr. Platts-Mills proceeded to deal with the true meaning of motherhood, and the influence of heredity and environment on the offspring. As far as heredity was concerned, tho parents each provided halt, but when it came to environment, almost everything depended upon Hip mother. Motherhood, said Dr..Platts-Mills, must be dignified and glorified it the nation was to hold its position. At present, she. urged, we were very far from tins de=irablo position, but, she/added, it would conic. The tendency of modern civilisation, unfortunately, was not to unlilt motherhood, but rather to debase and degrade it. Manv parents did their duty to their children, but tho general trend of things was not in this direction, bex and tho functions of tho body were not mentioned in the schools, or, very otton, in tho home. Generally speaking, fathers and mothers did not give their children the instruction they should get, and it was frequently by means of haphazard conversation, something whispered sccrct> ly, or from books which should cither not bo published or which should only l>o found on the shelf of a doctor s libra r}, that tho children picked things up. While this was so, books, carefully written for a purpose, were put aside as not fit for tho child." While not against higher education for girls, JJr. PlattsMills said that, as things stood, sto considered that tho future mothers were being given a nuin's. and not a womaii s, higher education. A woman, urged, ' should bo nblo to take a degree in subI jects which bear ou home-making, and 1 motherhood —in short, an education which I would fit her for her duties later on m life. Referring to matrimony, Dr. PlattsMills remarked that tho trend at present was for a girl to bo taught to look for a. i "good match'—this meaning a man ot social position. A man might have no character whatever, but if ho had position thoro would always bo iound some innocent girl for him, and some father or mother willing to agree to tho arrangements. Proceeding, Dr. PlatteMills had something to say on tho fecd- ! ing of infants. Thero were, she said, a 1 great number of mothers in til is country ! who fed their babies with bottles, instead I of feeding them themselves, as was tho I general practico in two such countries as ; Japan and China, both of which literally ! teemed with babies. The bottle, Dr. I'latls-Mills added, was one of tho ruinations of our modern civilisation. After dealing brieflv with tho legislative eflorts which aro being made in various quarters to uplift motherhood, Dr. Platts-Mills urged that tho key to tho position was the setting of a high standard of morality. Wo would never, sho concluded, get an ideal state until tlio standard of morality for a man was the samo as for a woman. Sovcral hymns and solos wero sung during the afternoon, and at the conclusion of tho mooting the visitors wero invited to lea in tho Y.M.C.A. AT THE SEAMEN'S INSTITUTE. Possibly to no class of men docs "Mothers' Day" appeal so strongly as to seamen, who are in most cases away from home. l A goodly muster of seamen were present 011 Sunday afternoon at tho Seamen's Institute, when a special gathering took place. "Hymns our mothers loved wero sung under the direction of the Missioned Mr. W. E, Cocks, and several appropriate solos were sung by 3lr. \\. J. Gondii. The Rev. A, M. Johnson, M.A., the hon. chaplain, delivered an address 011 tho topic of the day. The ladies of tho mission provided a homely tea, to which all the men sat down, eafch being provided with a little white buttonhole, with the rcQiiest to wear it in honour of and in memory of his mother. The tea table and tho hail wero well decorated with white flowers.