A NATIONAL DUTY.

White Ribbon, Volume 21, Issue 247, 18 January 1916, Page 7

A NATIONAL DUTY.

In the course of his reply to a deputation on ist September fr>m the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Hoard, the Minister of Education, the lion. J. A. Hanan, said: The child problem was a National problem. It was of immediate and supreme importance in every Hritish community, which was being seriously depleted of their strongest and physically fit men. The race and its future must be seriously considered. There was absolute need for a live and vigorous movement being set on foot and an organisation effected to establish an Empire bureau for child welfare. Inquiries should be made and reports on questions concerning the welfare of children and child life among all classes of the community; investigation of such questions as infantile mortality, the birth rate, orphanage, child study and child psychology, neglected, deficient and delinquent children, degenerating diseases and influences, parental control, etc., and progressive legislation affecting children in different parts of the world. He desired to emphasise what was a National necessity —that is to say, of taking all possible means in New Zealand to secure physical education for and development of the rising generation. Organisations for spreading instruction in nursing and the rearing of infants must be strengthened. The State must render judicious aid in this matter. It must vindicate the right of every c hild to be well born, and during its helpless years to be well nurtured. Some valuable work in this direction was being done by the State, but there was room for improvement, such as providing sufficient sanitary accommodation in schools, as regards providing playground areas and as regards effective dental and medical inspection of school children. Moreover, play and j hysical exercise, especially in the case of girls, must receive more recognition, likewise instruction in physiology, hygiene, and domestic science. He paid a tribute to the valuable services rendered by many publicspirited women belonging to societies for the promotion of health of women and children and other humanitarian services. The safeguarding and conserving ’of child life, and the healthy and physical deevlopment of the rising generation was a subject of

pre-eminent State interest. Ever) statesman in the Empire who had a due sense of his responsibility should make this subject a predominating feature of National policy.