The Dominion. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1917. A GREAT NATIONAL SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3011, 23 February 1917, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1917. A GREAT NATIONAL SERVICE.

( The importance of the Conference of Plunket Society, delegates held here this week is so great that we regret we have not been able to report moro fully than we have done the discussions on the various matters which have come up for dc.cision. The work of this' Society is now widely known throughout the Dominion, and its value is coming to be recognised witii increasing force wherever Plunket nurses have been established, • and wherever the literaturo of the Society is circulated. It wouldlie diffi- ■ cult to namo any undertaking whicK more deeply concerns the national I welfare than the service which the Plunket Society was created to render; and the success' which has attended its efforts > tin* faco of initial cUfticulties-and distrust is a testimony to the earnestness and capacity ot.i^;f{> llndoi . s aB well as to the merits qi their causo. The interest the Soifety.,, work has cited abroad, amongsfc those aefcivel concerned wifch tho b i om of P r ?s«;>ation of child life and tho »i»L'<nng up of a healthy race, and approval expressed by leading authorities of the lines along which it is proceeding, aro also gratifying and encouraging signs which should stimulate effort and win for tho movement still wider support and assistance. In toese circumstances it, is regrettable to note that a misunderstanding JThich may lead to etraine'd relations appears to have arisen between tho Minister of Public Health and •tho Council of the Society. Let us say at onop that from tho facts "■Yf/lablo the fault in no way lies with the Society. Nor can it bo'said tuat Mr. Russell has been at all lacking m sympathy, with the objects of the Society. On tho ~9°ntrary, he has ' expressed the warmest approval of its u J t,> has also praised most" aignly.tho manner in which it has performed its work. He has also i n ui, ca JP acit y as Minister of i'ublic Health rendered if) raJuablo nnancial assistance,. and has promised still greater aid. It is the more unfortunate therefore that any disagreement should . have arisen, and it would ho something in the nature of a national disaster if tho differences .which have occurred should be permitted to develop into active antagonism between'the Society and the Government, with the possibility of the loss to the State of tho immensely valuable organisation built up by the enthusiastic and devoted efforts of Dβ. TfcmiY King and those associated with him in the movement'to %ave the babies."

There is no reason at the moment to anticipate any such deplorable outcome of the situation', but, reading between the lines of the Minister's letter, there might be found a sinister suggestion of trouble ahead —& hint that amounts to a threat of State interference, which would in all probability have the effect of discouraging, if not of killing, outEighb, the splendid voluntary effort which has already proved of such great value to the Dominion, and which _ gives promise of development into a national asset of inoalculable worth. Mr. Russkll is a vigorous and pushful Minister, and one can sympathise with his desire to extend the good work which the Plunket Society is' carrying on. It is grossly urgent, however, in face of the facts, to suggest that the Society has not expanded its operations as it should have done in recent times. Tho fact is that the Society has been debarred from that txpansion which it had planned, by the veto of the Minister and by reason of the demands for skilled nurses occasioned by the war. Then it is quite right that the Minister should concern himself with the finances of the Society in view of the, fact that the State assists it with subsidies, but here again' it is clear that Mr. Ktfsseli, has not done justice to the Society in his survey of the position. He appears to treat the donations received by | the Sooiety by way of endowment j for specified purposes as though they were current income, .. and should bo expended without regard to future needs. Apart from the unwisdom of a policy of living from hand to mouth and making no provision against the cdntin- j gency of a shortago for a period, , of public subscriptions, the diversion of funds given for a specific purpose would involve an act of dishonesty which would, as the Society points out, "shatter public confidence and stop all tendency to further donations O" -, bequests in the future." We cannot believe that Mn. Russell, had he fully understood tho position, would have written as ho did concerning the failure of the Society to expend these accumulated endowment funds. What is of most concern afc the moment, however, is ihe possibility that the attitude of the Minister

may. lead to misunderstanding as to the intentions of the. Government and discourage the Society, and so militate .against the magnificent work it is doing. This is far too serious a prospect to be permitted to develop for lack of a little plain speaking. The Minister of Public Health and his colleagues m the National Cabinet no doubt appreciate well enough the service the Plunket Society has rendered, and is still rendoring, to New Zealand and it is thoir duty to make it quite cloar that the Society ia to be en cpuragecl in its work in ever* poasiblo way.