ENVIRONMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 31, 6 February 1925, Page 8

ENVIRONMENT.

ITS EFFECT ON STATUS. -NCOURAGE PARENTHOOD. ! i iik 11; x:\i\i; m 'l iii: ' WUM- \\ i i.i.iM, in.N. ;i,i- loi.i. j I, i ji,".|-:.. ~.,.',11l all ..il; noli il -Inn," 111.,1,11 1 i11'...' :.:•-,11.'i dele, live- and M'-Uh llcu-U-l-. ' I In i" liillii'tc .""I- •..mil.:." .'., ,',.■' ~ rill la-Ill' and Tno Mcndclii.'.l ! I.i.i ' übilc ma-.iu" .real a.liai.ces in ■ ~.„..i,'.,i |-|..||_hl and s-i ,„.-.. I,:,xc id Willi 111- depressing and fatalistic] l-.ulinn that heredity determine ex.-ry- j bill :i \ni _x iiisigiiiliciiiit .'.,; in human i .-mintbill, development, unl jirner.-s .! course i- not tin' .ii'-e. "In the 'uliiniaic origin." ail evolution am] all heredity i-a the oUlcniuc. sunimilliun. and i \prc-sion nl the cll'oi is of [ cmii-,'l nt..] inlliiences, a, ling nn the I v iiol -.'i-i.i iimb r certain laws nf j tram-mi-simi. The bins ,-i 1 erniity.' thuiigb a- vet oi.l, -~.ii lial'iv ilelcnnini ■!.' arc alrca.i'i sii'lv hill I. ii.'.,-er'. ll illiil tn prove be- all : ;;ii-li,:l! PUll.iwcs that ill' ni liii- :,, ni. .urn.. intcL'.. i imi nnd fur ■ ibiT |,t,'crcs- i-i liiittmn ex nlni ion. not

di.-inlcciai i,,-.i and degencral ion, two (bines arc i-s-.inli.il ami eonipul-ori'. Ibi the one band lie must ,l.i everything pnssibl- in the direction of invi'm Millie nutrition, health, environment, and the conditfons nf life and habits <-I the cumimity: and. nn the other hand, we must promote and eneonracc parenthood on the pari of the 1.0-l and ablest stocks and do everything ill our power to (lis courage (or in extreme cases even tn prevent i ,be proliferation of the unlit an.l degenerate -trains. "We shall noxv revert for a moment to the environmental factor.

The fust most pressing and imnie-1 diate practical duty of the Governmenti ' and community is to spar- no pains to : improve the stains ami environment of, 1 the family, so as to promote the highest, ' attainable standard of physical, mental, and moral health fnr the new generation! in our midst, or hound to uriixc in the' course of the next fexv years. ll is becoming more and more widely recog-' nised that by due attention to prenatal and postnatal care, and to mother and, child, an infinity of goo,) can be done. Indeed a great deal is already under way in this direction throughout Ihe Dominion, bul. the committee is satis-1 tied that much more ought to be done; to ensure for the children of pro-school and school ages more generally favour-1 able home conditions and healthier en-| vironment and habits outside the home] In the meantime, it. is obvious that very! little ran bo effected in the way of bet-l tering average heredity; but are xvp i taking adequate measures in the direr-] (ion of improving the cnxironment of i mother ami child. } "The housing problem is Btill far from, satisfactory; help in the home ran; scarcely be procured; and rearing and' care of children throughout pre-school 1 and school periods in large proportion 1 of rases is neither conducive to a. high standard of nutrition and growth and] moral development, nor lo tho cstah-l lishnient of normal self-control, cspc-j dally as regards sexual habits anil manifestations. Lending medical andi psychological authorities lay it down as! an axiom that, the power of self -control i is at its highest when the individual is! physically active, xvell nourished, and ml perfect bodily health, and that impaired! control alxvays accompanies impaired nutrition, debility and disease. In view of these considerations, the committeei feels compelled to refer to such serious 1 handicaps to all-round health, control and efficiency, as the prevalence of wrong feeding, habits, e.g., giving children food betxveen meals, the insufficiency of fresh fruit and vegetables in the daily diet, and the abuse of sxveets. Other prominent and avoidable handicaps seriously affecting many children throughout the Dominion xvhich ought to receive more serious attention, arc insufficiency- of sunlight ad fresh air in bomo and'at school - ; ijisufflcient. daily out_uar ; and exercise; lack of adequate provision in the way of playgrounds and sxvimmjnp baths, and last, but not. least, the highly injuriojus practice of frequenting picture shows."'

The report, of the Pircrfor of School Hygiene is referred to as confirming most, of the faults and mistakes in environment, and upbringing, whilst the report also draws attention to the injurious effects of overwork and excessive competition, nnd the need for mon sleep and rest. "We xvould merely add to Hiis very clear and practical statement, of unfortunate actualities, and suggestions as to remedial measures, that encouragement of excessive competition inside or outside the school for any purpose xvhatsoever is costly and damaging to the whole being, and thai in the opinion of the committee nothing needs to be impressed more strongly on parents and school teachers than Kroebel's injunction, "Cix-c space and time, and nest.' "