MEDALS FOR TRIPLETS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 37, 6 November 1937, Page 6

MEDALS FOR TRIPLETS

-Press Association.)

Suggested Incentive To Parenthood DISCUSSION IN HOUSE

(Bv Teleeranh-

WELLINGTON, This Day. Suggestions for xecognising prolifie parenthood in the community were made by members dnring the discussion on the Health Department's estimates in the House of Representatives yesterday.- The opinion expressed by the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes (Opposition, Hurunui) that gold medals should be • awarded in cases of 'triplets was not taken seriously, Ihowever, and there was a reluetance on the part of members to answer a question by the Un-der-Seeretary in Charge of Housing, Mr J. A. Lee, as to which patent should receive the medal. The subject was raised when Dr. D. G. McMillan (Government, Dunedin West) thahked the Minister of Health, Hon. P. Fraser, for a bounty of £ 50 to be paid to the parents of th« Johnston quadruplets in Dunedin. The money, he said, would be of considerable assistance to them. Mr J. HaTgest (Opposition, Awaroa) mentioned the case of a woman eonstituent of his who had recently had triplets, and, in all, had eight children under the age of eight yeaTS. He thought it might be possible for the Government to assist the family, although he recognised, of course, that Ijhere had to be a limit to that sort of thing. (Laughter.) Mr Forbes said there seemed to be % great disparity between the bounty paid to the parents of the quadruplets and that which "was customarily paid Out in cases where there were trpijets. After all, triplets were only one sitiort of quadruplets, and it seemed that they could, with justice, receive »a more liberal bounty. Perhaps the situation might be met-to some extent by the award of a gold medal for triplets. "Among the Maori people the arrival of triplets is not welcomed," said Sir Apirana Ngata ' (Oppdsition, t Eastern Maori). "When that happens in a Maori village, the mother is called a bad woman. 3f a • gold medal was awarded for triplets or bonuses were » given it would be easy to imagine t.he influence that would have on the Native situation. The housing problem, for instance, would be tremendously aggravated." Mr Lee: To which parent would you give the medal?" *I would like .to think that over bejfore answering," Sir Apirana said.