Manawatu Herald. [Established Aug. 27, 1878.] THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 1904. The Preservation of Child Life.

Manawatu Herald, 2 June 1904, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. [Established Aug. 27, 1878.] THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 1904. The Preservation of Child Life.

Wb are in receipt of a cleverlywritten article frbm the pen of the Premier, Mr R. J. Seddon, setting forth his • views with reference to the above subject. Although not always in sympathy with Mr Seddon’s legislation, we think that in this instance he has struck the right chord, and we wish him every success in the realisation of his practical and comprehensive scheme. It is a well-known fact that the birthrate of the colony has been on the ebb for some years, and this cause has been attributed by some to a lowering of the moral standard or the people. It would perhaps surprise those who adopt this pessimistic view to learn that the population is kept down, not by reason of the

actual number of births being small, but on account of the terrible waste of infant life that seems to prevail throughout the colony. The Premier, in his report, gives statistics showing that the average mortality of children under five years of age is no less that 2,000 annually, or 20,000 in ten years. Can it be wondered then that the birth-rate is reduced to a minimum when this state of things exists? It is with the object of saving the lives of these little ones, whose deaths are in most cases due to ignorance or neglect, that Mr Seddon has promulgated a scheme, which he promises to embody in a Bill, and place before the House, as soon as the onportunity presents itself. The perils of a stationary population are not so apparent in New Zealand as in the Commonwealth, and timely action should go a long way towards checking the progress of the evil. Mr Seddon will no doubt lay himself open to a great deal of adverse criticism In bringing forward, a proposal of this nature, Some will say that such matters should be left entirely to the people. Mr Seddon recognises this fact, but he recognises further that the evil is not caused by any failing on the part of the people themselves, but is consequent on the conditions of life that surround them; and in seeking to ameliorate these conditions the Premier is doing a humane and noble work, and we trust it will produce the beneficial effects intended by its author. Mr Seddon’s plan provides for the founding of Maternity Homes and Infant Hospitals, and in this capacity the Premier pays a well-deserved tribute to the Salvation Army for their work among the poorer classes. He also announces his intention of giving grants to the various religious bodies towards the erection and upkeep of institutions devoted to this purpose. Another excellent feature of Mr Seddon’s programme is the training of a large staff of nurses, who will be paid at the cost of the State, and whose services will be available to the poorer sections of the community. This is a step in the right direction, for the high fees charged by doctors and others prohibit many from employing their aid except in cases of extreme urgency. There is nothing distasteful or impracticable in the Premier’s scheme, and we hope that it will soon be put into execution. The matter is not one that will admit of delay, and the sooner the measure is placed on the statute-book, the better for the prosperity of the colony generally.