PROMOTING HEALTH

Shannon News, 10 September 1926, Page 3

PROMOTING HEALTH

BEQUEST OF £IO,OOO. DOMINION’S YOUTH TO BENEFIT LATE HAMILTON RESIDENT’S GIFT. During the years of suffering 'with an incurable lung trouble, the late Mr Herbert Smith, a very _ wealthy man, who formerly resided in Hamilton, decided, in his benevolence, to do something to prevent future generations of New Zealanders from becoming victims to the same malady, and generally to promote gooo health amongst the young in this country and to teach them the care of the body. The late Mr Smith died on July 13, at Mount- Tamborine, near Brisbane, and in his will, there is a clause bequeathing iiIO.OOO for . the .promotion of health-giving pastimes in New' Zealand. £I7OO Avajlahle Yearly. An expenditure of £I7OO a year over a period of ten years is provided for under the bequest, and this will exhaust both principal and interest. It will probably be some months before the money is available for application to the purpose of fostering sport among New' Zealand’s youth and assisting to bring about a higher standard of physical health. The late Mr Smith left a large fortune, and his will was only lodged for probate recently. (.’{loosing a Scheme. The directions of the donor arc that a competitive prize should be offered to the person successful in evolving the most suitable method of bringing about the purpose aimed at, and lie makes, suggestions as to tht» most practicable manner in which a scheme of physical development can be arrived at through the medium of sporting activities. The bequest is probably unique in the history ot New’ Zealand sport and should go far towards achieving the object which the late Mr Smith cherished. The clause in the will setting out the bequest reads as follows: — Terms of Bequest. “During a lifetime of intermittent illness and five years of hospital and serious illness, I have given some thought to .matters pathological, and have come to the firm conviction that cure is in the hands of the gods, and not, as is frequently alleged, in the hands of. the British Medical Association: but prevention is unquestionably in the hands of parents, teachers, doctors, and governments. Since Mr H. G. Wells published his ‘Outline of History’ there is no excuse for any person of average intelligence not understanding something of the origin and development of the human animal to its present stage. Developing the Body. “It. also should ' be obvious that the means necessary to maintain and develop the body over a period of millions of years cannot now be suddenly discarded and. -will be found even more ; necessary for maintenance and progress, for life must go on or deteriorate and perish. Therefore, in place of giving a sum to the hospital, I propose to award prizes for athletic competitions to tho youth of New’ Zealand between the ages of nine and fifteen in a -manner to induce the greatest possible numbpr of them to become hardy and characterful meg and women. These prizes shall be given over aoperiod of seven years, by which time I trust the Government will have made all sports compulsory, as is the case of the best English schools, and I bequeath the sum of for the purposes mentioned to my trustee, my brother, Mr C. B. Smith, and to my friend, Mr F. A. de la Mare, of Hamilton, aforesaid, as trustees of such fund and request them to take such steps as they may consider necessary to effectuate my, purpose. No Deep Breathing. “I suggest to my trustees that they consider tho question of concentrating on route marches or harriers for boys and skipping for, girls should they prove practicable, but to assist them in making the greatest, possible use of the money I wish them to offer the sum of £25 as a prize for the scheme w’hich will, in their opinion, benefit the greatest possible number of children, i “No scheme must have in any part of it conscious deep breathing, which I consider develops the very dangerous habit of holding tho breath during the strain of exertion, but should be confined to sport promoting the fullest possible development of the nose and respiratory tract, especially between tho ages of nine and tw’elve, and putting that foundation in the growing child is so vitally necessary to adult health.” The late Mr Smith was a brother of Mr C. B. Smith, of Hamilton, w’ho is sole trustee of his laic brother’s estate, except in so far as this particular bequest is concerned. The late gentleman, who was 45 years of age at the time of his death, w-as, in his early days, a great athlete. He was a son of the late Mr Christopher Smith, draper, of Wellington, and w r as a man of powerful physique.