FREE MILK FOR SCHOOLS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 40, 3 March 1937, Page 4

FREE MILK FOR SCHOOLS

Meeting Agrees on Scheme for Hastings BENEFIT TO CHILDREN The inauguration of a free supply of TnjUr to pupils attending tha primary, private and post-primary schools in Hastings was unaaimously favoured at a speciai meeting of representatives of school committees and others interested in the welfare of the school children last night. The Mayor, Mr G. A. Maddison, presided over an attendance of between 35 and 40 representatives. Mr Maddison outlined the scheme as put forward in the circular letter, reeeived from the Directcvr-General of Health and said that the meeting was called in accordance with the express wish of. that official. Mr Maddison pointed out that for a number of years he had been making representations for the introduction of such a scheme as proposed, for he was convineed that it was most definitoly in fhe health interests of the children. "After all, the health of the children is paramount," he said, "and I hope that thjs meeting will ruaugurate tlie scheme in this district. It will not be possible immediately to introduce the scheme, but from inquiries that have been made during the past few da-ys no difficulty will he found in securing an adequate supply of milk." Mr Maddisp-n then called upon Mr W. A. Cowell, milk scheme officer, U Wellington, who had been specially invited to the meeting by His Worship, to speak. f Mr Cowell, after pointing out that the schem© had been successfully introduced in the four raain centres and the Government was now setting out to meet the needs of the larger provincial centres, said that it was es--timated that the scheme, when in operation throughtout the Dominion, would cost about £200,000 a year. As far as Hastings was concerned, it was estimated that the annual cost would be in the vicinity of £1200. "The whole idea of the scheme is to provide every child with a daily ration of pure milk,'' he said. "The serviee is entirely a free one and a voluntary one. A child is not compelled to have fche milk, but experience has shown fchat where the supply js available the children take advantage of it." The proceedings were concluded in » more or less informal manner, several representatives asking a number o£ questions regarding the various aspects of the scheme. Mr Cowell said that the Government was finding the finance. It was expected that the speciai committee set up would arrange for securing the supply, and all th© school committees were expected to do waB to make arrangements for the storjng of fche milkj which would he left in sealed bottles, in a suitable room between the time the milk was delivered and distributed among the pupils. The question of pasteurised versu« fresh milk was raised hy several representatives, the need for pastfeurisafcion of the milk being questioned but no motion was tabled concerning thiii aspect. It was eventually decided, on the motion of Mr C. Lassen (Mahora) and seconded by Mr L. J. Mackersey (Hastings West), that a committee be set up to inaugurate the free milk scheme in th© four primary school® in Hastings, the Convent, the privat© and post-primary schools,. Free Kindergarten, Havelock North and Mangateretere Schools. The committe© set .up consists of the chairman, or deputies, of the school committees of those school® concerned, the principals of the schools, the Mayor, Mr E. L. Cullen, M.P., the Rev. R. B. Waugh and Mr T. S. Dobson. '■ A