Stratford News

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 93, 5 September 1912, Page 3

Stratford News

From our Resident Reporter. ••\7O2IEN AND CHILDREN FIRST." Dr. Truby King, the enthusiast on the improvement and preservation of the health of women and children, was with ns on Tuesday, and lectured in the Town Tall. As usual, lie was most interesting, logical and emphatic, and quite took hold of his audience. The Mayor presided. Dr. King spoke of race deterioration and its causes, the principal of which was that children were not '•nursed" us long as they used to 'he, and a,s they should be, the natural food of the infant failing at six months old. This struck at the root of the life of the nation. Decayed teeth were the disastrous result. He pictured vividly the awful conditions of child life in older countries. Talking of decayed teeth, the lecturer said that in the inauguration of a system of military training medical examination had shown that more than double the number of men were rejected on account of decayed teeth than was the case in the Old Country. The ■ examinations were as stringent m both countries, and the teeth of the people of New Zealand were far worse than the teeth of the people of the Old Country. People were very much better off I out here, the children very much more addicted to eating between meals, and I indulged much more in sweet things." He eulogised the work of the 'T'lunket" | nurses, and epitomised the successful re- ] suits. Ten years ago there was no ] indication of any diminution in the ever- j increasing death-rate; but, since the.! societies word formed, five years ago, that rate had decreased. Jn the course ;of those five years, they had managed in Dunedfri to reduce the death-rate by onehalf. It had been computed that "in the next ten years a quarter of a million children would be born in New Zealand; but it had been estimated that every little "immigrant" meant a gain to the country of £3OO, which meant that a reduction in the death-rate of one-half would represent a sum sufficient to pay oil' our present national debt of £75,000,000. "And surely," he said, "the value of that 'produce' will be vastly effected by whether it is a lit and capable 'product.' or incapable and suffering from disease." Dr. King attacked cow's milk as an entirely unsuitable babies' food, and advocated the simply-prepared humanised milk, with the important addition of fresh air and regular dieting. There were enormous possibilities, he said, in the proper care and feeding of infants.

THE LAND DEBATE Thf leasehold Government came to nn epid on Tuesday Jiiirh!;. The Government introduced ;>. iiii'::-;:i> on the lines of the proposal to he submitted for discussion to-night in the inter-club debate at New Plymouth. The speech of the session was (hut of the Hon. W. A. Hewitt, who attacked the leasehold and defended the freehold, on ten distinct points. By resolution of the House, the lion, gentleman was allowed to speak for 25 minutes, mid. whilst his views drew forth a running fire of hostile interjections, it was always interesting. The Hon. A. Reader, Prime Minister, in replying, made a powerful speech i:i advocacy of the leasehold. The freeholders won on the casting vote of the speaker. Mr. J. McMahon is the new Premier. STRAY' PARAGRAPHS The "voluntary contributions" to the local hospital last year were swelled by £2!) odd from a benefit given by Mme. Bernard at His Majesty's Theatre on the opening night. This earned a subsidy of 24s in. the £ from the Government. That is generosity. Mme. Bernard is a "friend in need," and her liberality in giving -benefits" is much appreciated. Mr. Kindberg, a very old settler, has passed away in the Stratford Hospital. He was formerly a resident of the Manawatu. Auckland and Hawke's Bay districts, and farmed "out east" for' some time before settling on the Flint road a couple of years ago. Reception day to-day by the Stratford co-operative dairy concern. The directors were the hosts, arid (he hosts of butter buyers and produce agents were the guests The latter did most of the entertaining. The directors could not persaude'themselves that any one of the agents had made out a sufficiently good case, and the season's butter output has yet to be disposed of. Mr. E. H. Robinson leaves next Tuesday for Australia. Mr. Robinson, who ie one of the Robinsons of "Manchester House," has considerable skill and taste as a window-dresser, and this is the branch of the drapery business to which he will devote himself in the larger centres. Mr. C. S. Kelly, sub-editor of the Post, has left for Whangarei, where tie assumes the ■•sub's" chair on the Advocate. BERNARD'S PICTURES To-night's ''star" attraction is "Shamus O'Brien." The poem L n favorite with Irishmen all over the world, because it crystalises a desire that is deep down in the hearts of countless millions of Irishmen for the freeing of Treland from official association with England—in other words, "Home Rule for''lreland." It is an Tri-di play, produced under Irish direction, and acted by Irish men and women, who all entered into the verv niarrow of the theme. Supporting this feature arc many either line productions. With ris;>. H jo ;; special Lubin drama to be included, namely, "Mexican Courtship." (I. ■ l.iibin ('imipanv rented an arena- procured a special license, engaged two exprienccd matadors, and bought a bull especially for Hie great light, which is shown from the beginning iiTit i 1 the bull is killed ~,,,1 dragged from the arena. An excellent p m . s t,„- v j s i mi | t around the bull fight, and intense interest is sustained throughout in a remarkably novel and thrilling manner. 'two other prominent dramas are "The Military Air «eout" (Vilagrajih) and "\ Poor Relation" (Seli.-O. Instructive items include -The Life of the llonev Bee,' "A Trip Through Hungary." anil •Totrory-i-.akin.ri,, An'.-h-.,."' The usual sceclMin ol eeinedv hits go |„ make up fident win easily suroa.-s anvthim- that has previously been shown in -•:: ra! i'ord.