PLUNKET SOCIETY.

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 13, 21 August 1930, Page 7

PLUNKET SOCIETY.

ANNUAL MEETING,

The eighth, annual meeting of the Lower Hutf Plunket Society was hold in the Society's Rooms, Riddiford Park on Thursday last.' His "Worship the Mayor presided over a large attendance of members.

In moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet the chairman congratulated the Society on the excellent work carried out for the year. " Referring to the statement in the report that last year 399 adults and/ 1542 baibies and older children visited the

rooms in excess ot the previous yaar and that the nurse had visited. 1889 homes, Sir Alexander Roberts said that one might well be proud of the society and he was at a loss to know how the staffs carried out , the work. He considered that the Society was a great asset to the eonrrnunity and to the district and he was thankful for he work that' was being d'>:i->

Under the heading of subscriptions, the-report states that £20/16/6 was received from : mothers attending the rooms and \n the box which, is placed in the rooms to receive contributions, £8/9/11 had been Tecoived for the year.

His Worship said he did not think viic Society received sufficient support from residents. ft v. as'often state 1 that -what was, given free was not appreciated. He considered the receipts' should bo at least double. Instead of say 200 subscribers at a guinea lie would prefer to see 2000 at 5/-. "I sincerely hope," said Sir Alexander, "that you1 will be able to augment y<

income very considerably, especially in view of the fact that it is highly prob-' able the Government subsidy will be reduced. Whilst we all understand that the financial stringency calls for economy, I da not think that societies such as the Plunket Society should be affected. ''. The chairman said that he had

hoard rumours of the Society's wjsh to extend its building operations on the eastern side of the borough and so far as the Borough., Council was concerned evory assistance would be given.

The report was seconded .by Mr, D A. Ewen and adopted.

Mr. J. Mitchell spoke of the splendid effort that had been made- by the house to house canvas and congratulated the ladies on their work. Whilst at the present time 76 peT cent of the babies born in the Hutt were.under the control of the'Plunket Society, he predicted that it would very shortly be 100 per cent..

The following officers'were elected: President, Mrs. McCaw;, Vice Presidents: Lady Roberts,- Mts. C. B. Buxton, Mrs. G. A. Chapman, Mrs D. A. Ewen, Mrs E.W. Hu-ic. Mrs. G. W. Yon Zedlitz;' Treasurer, Mrs W. H. Earnshaw; Secretary, Mrs. M. J. Cameron; Committee: the officers, of the Society, ex-officio, and Mesdames C. J. Bennett, W. E. Bock, E. L. Maxchant, F. N. R. Meadows, C. B. Robinson, E» Salmond, H. Sladden, A F. TosswiH, J. Whitton and Geo. Cooper. Associate Committee Mesdames H. E. Admore, T. O. Bishop, E...D..5. Bu4 3\ H. Campbell, R. O. ■Chesney, Q- A. Chisholm, S. Clendon, R. Y. Collins, IST. F; Gibson, G. L. Giesen, H. B. Gordon, A L. Hansell, R. Hardca'stle, P. J* S. Huthnance, H. Kersley, S. Knight, W. Maldin, P. Marshall, D. C. Martin, J. M Mason, J. P. Pnillips, W. H. Smith, W. T, Strand, W. P. Williams, A. B. Jones, W. H. Johnston. Advisory Board: Messrs E. P. Buamy, C. B. B-uxton, D. A. Ewen, E. W. Hunt and C B. Robinson. Hon. Auditor, Mr. E. W. Hunt; Hon. Solicitor, Mr. E; P. Bunny.

; On the motion of Mt D. A. Ewen a hearty vote of thanks to the officers of the Society, the hon. auditor, hon. solicitor, the nurses and the Press -was carried by acclamation.

A vote of thanks to the chair concluded . tho meeting.

ADDRESS BY DR. ADA PATERSON. (Director, Division of School Hygiene)

An.interesting address was given by Dr. Ada Paterson, Director of the Division of School Hygiene at the annual meeting of the Plunket Society

last week,

'' One of the striking features in the social progress of the twentieth century has undoubtedly been the; prominence given to preventive , medicine," said, the speaker. We realise that in the widedt sense man is actually in some degree master of his fate. It is not even too niuoh to say that; by taking thought he is able to add to his stature if not a eu'bit, whatever that measurement signifies, at least some small fraction of increase. Preventive medicine is. an expression of our faith that by the • exercise- of foresight and intelligence we are able to improve conditions for the human-race. Sir. George Newman, the Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry of Health, England . says the objects of preventive medicine are:—(l) To develop and fortify tie physique pf the indivdual and thus increase the capacity and powers of resistance of the individual and the community; (2) TO prevent or remove the causes and conditions" of disease or of ,its propagation^ (3) To postpone the eyent of dea-th and thus prolong the span of.man's life.- Much ; he says^ has already been achieved in- these three directions- No one man read the records of social and physiad life in Britain in the.days of Alfred, in the Mid^ die Agesc or in the last f Our centuries

without recognising that a vast improve mont has taken place, and that to-day human life is potentially a better thing than in the past.

In these days of scepticism and disillusionment it is good for us to take notice of some indices that life is be«? 4 coming (apart from such devastating catastrophes as war) a more secure and healthier possessions. Quoting from the N.Z. Ifear Book the doctor showed that we have the lowest death Tate in the world—B.7s per 1,000 of the mean popu- : lation. i ■ Expectation of life at age 0 has increased from 1891-1895, 55.294 males, 58.087 females^ 1921-1922, 62.764 males 65.433 females.

Our death-rate from tuberculosis is the lowest in the world and has steadily lessened during the last half century.

, School medial statistics indicate that ISTew Zealand school children are both taller and heavier than British children of the same age and there is no doubt that in average general health and physique and in freedom from defect, they compare satisfactorily with those found in other countries. Our reords show also that-the New Zealand school child of to-day is actually taller and heavier than in 1913 when our first figures were available for comparison. These reassuring facts must be attributed in part to the protection provided by public health -measures ensuring improved sanitary conditions^—a purer food supply especially with regard to milk—stricter supervision and control of infectious diseases, etc. Associated with progress of this kind, 'however, there is undoubtedly a more widespread knowledge of the principles Tof correct nurtuTe, and a clearer recognition of the importance of their application.

To quote Sir George Newman again: 'fGood nurture is the foundation of the public health".;and good nurture consists in the correct application of the elemental principles of right living.

In New Zealand we' aTe apt to forget our advantages wh.m compared with old er countries. We are not incumfbered" as they are with a population of slum dwellers suffering from generations of poverty, neglect and wrong-living. In spite of the present financial depression and the undoubted fact of the prevalence of unemployment etc., there is almost certainly no country in the world to-day where the facilities for correct living are more generally available than in New Zealand. What is undoubtedly.wanted, however, is a wider public recognition of their importance, e.g., Dr. Henderson's report on condi'ditions of rural school children. Popular education in.health matters is of

paramount importance and the co-ope-

ration' of parents is essential to the success of any work for the iniprove'ment a£ the health and physique of children. In the School Medical Service we make every effort towards this end. A good deal of health propaganda is carried out by the distribution tif health, literature and also by articles in the public press. Close relationship with ■the parents is ensured as far as possible by inviting them to the medical examination of their children at school and school nurses pay many visits to the th.om.es of school children. Last year for instance, approximately I^ooo parents were interviewed by school medical officers and school nurses paid some 16,000 visits to homes. It soon becomes evident that movements for the welfare of children must be closely related to measures for improving the home environment, e.g., town planning. Bad housing, in the cities entails sleep in 'over-crowded, ill-ventilated rooms, lack of play-ground sps'eo and of facilities for growing fresh garden produce However, the high price of land in the cities and difficulty of transit into the suburbs may justify to some degree flat or tenement life. The family- living ibeyond t»he business area in possession of its own cottage and garden space will always offer better opportunities to.its children. .

Speaking of the Plunket Society Dr. Paterson said it is the s general appeal that this Society makes to the public that menvts recognition apart from the excellence of the regime which it reeoramencls. It has succeeded in a most amazing and wonderful manner in iinpressin'g upon pai-ents the impoi-fcanee of the principles it advocates. It has our best wishes for success in.the com-

ing year.

On the motion of St. Alexander Roberts, Dr.. Paterson was accorded a •hearty vote.of thanks for her interest-

ing lecture