In the News

Southland Times, Issue 24825, 18 August 1942, Page 4

In the News

Pies for Toddlers Travelling about New Zealand and watching food habits in public eating places, one got a good idea of “the dreadful food the people do eat,” said Dr Helen Deem, medical adviser to the Plunket Society, speaking at the Auckland provincial conference. It was a common thing to see toddlers demanding pies, and, not content with a pie, drenching it with spiced sauces. Children’s Foot Troubles

The causes of foot troubles are often to be traced to early childhood, according to Dr Helen Deem, medical adviser to the Plunket Society, who, in an address to the Auckland provincial branch said there was need for improvement in the styles of children’s footwear as procurable today. Children’s feet, she said, were relatively insensitive, and the child seldom complained when shoes were ill-fitting or too small. She referred to a recent survey made of toddlers’ feet in one of the American States, where 72 per cent, of the subjects examined were found to be wearing shoes that did not fit. _ Besides the difficulty of telling if new shoes were a proper fit, there was also that of children outgrowing their shoes. A desirable type of footwear for a young child was a sufficiently strong lace-up shoe or boot. She showed examples of footwear, and also mentioned that correct fitting socks were important. She advised mothers not to disregard the advice of intelligent salesmen because shoes looked large and clumsy. Troubles originating in childhood •were common —corns, callouses, bunions, etc. She said that a tendency to flat feet could sometimes be seen in young children and could be corrected. Strain of Longer Hours

Long hours of work in the engineering trade in Auckland are stated to be having an effect on the health of the men engaged, and the amount of time lost thip winter through various forms of incapacity is higher than the average (says The Auckland Star). The hours of 58 to 60 a week worked by many of the men have resulted in considerable strain, which has been accentuated by night shifts. “I would feel much happier if the hours could be reduced to about 50 a week,” said a leading representative of the industry, but I cannot see any way of making such a reduction and at the same time maintaining the output. The difficulty of preserving physical fitness is increased because some of the men are -unsuitable for the army because of one disability or another, and these handicaps show their effects in the factory.” School Sewing

The surrendering of ration coupons by children for material to be used for school sewing was not in accord with the wishes of either the Government or the Rationing Controller, said Mr N. E. Dalmer, president of the Wellington Schools’ Committees and Educational Association, at a meeting of delegates to the association. He had been told so by the controller, and a way out of the difficulty would soon be found. It would mean, then, that' no coupons would be required for that . purpose from childrenSchool Without Teacher Before the No. 1 Armed Forces Appeal Board in Hamilton, the chairman of the Kimihia School Committee appealed for the release from camp of a male teacher ■' at the Kimihia School. The committee stated that the teacher went into camp three weeks ago and the school had since been closed. The Education Board had advised that there was no relieving teacher available and I asked the committee to telegraph if it I could secure the services of a suitable local person, preferably one with secondary school education, for temporary employment. There was no suitable person available. There were 17 children attending the school. The board recommended 28 days’ leave for the teacher and asked the appellant to take the matter up again with the Education Board. Dissatisfaction was expressed that the Education Board had not supported the appeal. Women Use Shopping Carts Now that deliveries of groceries, vegetables, meat and bread have largely ceased in most Auckland districts, many housewives are finding it necessary to resort to shopping carts to carry their loads. In the case of those, living in outer suburbs, especially, the distance from shops is often, considerable and it is impossible for one person to carry everything in the usual way. Some of the carts to be seen are simple wooden affairs on wheels, “knocked up” by the man of the house. But there are others, more professional, which are on sale in the city. They are attractively painted and of different shapes. Some are in the form of deep baskets on wheels, while others are like bicycle trailers. Service for Motorists As a step towards keeping members’ cars in running order, the Automobile Association (Auckland) has decided to pay a retainer of £2OO a year for a mechanic contractor to undertake work approved by the association’s officers. Materials for such jobs and the contractor’s time in excess of one hour on each job are to be paid for by the car owner. Instances were quoted, at a meeting of the association, where I garages had been unable to undertake such work through absence of staff. The new serice will be available to members not more than 12 miles from the Chief Post Office. Army Camp for Women Bathrooms with real baths—these alone would make the camp being prepared in Canterbury for members of the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps remarkable among South Island military camps. The bathrooms are an indication of the concern the army is showing for the welfare of the girls it is now recruiting for service with antiaircraft- and other units. The camp, which up to the present has served as a base training depot, will be ready for the WA.A.C.’s when they are mobilized on August 22. “We realize that girls need more room and more privacy than men,” commented an officer when explaining that they would use four-men huts, but with only two girls to each hut. Temporary shower baths which have served the men are being replaced by more elaborate arrangements. Each shower is in its own cabinet and each of the shower blocks includes several bathrooms.