A GOOD YEAR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 196, 20 August 1930, Page 10

A GOOD YEAR.

AUCKLAND PLUNKET SOCIETY

FINANCIAL SITUATION

GENEROUS DONATIONS.

"For many years. New Zealand has held the distinction of having the lowest infant death-rate in the world," said Mrs. W. H. Parkes at the annual meeting of , the Auckland ... branch of the Society yesterday. TJie meeting was held in the Lyceum Club, and Sir-George Fowkls presided. Associated with, him were i.th'e ■ president, Mrs. W. ■H. Parkes, Sister Hannah, Miss Eileen Partridge, ■. honorary secretary, Mr. J. Prater and Canon Fancourt.

Mrs.Parkes said that authorities were .all agreed that it was easy to reduce the death-rate from a very high figure to 5 per cent, because the majority of those deaths were due to causes more or less easily .dealt with. When it came to reducing from 5 per cent to 4 per cent, the task. was.much more'difficult, and. it was still more so when it was desired to reduce the death-rate from 4 per cent to 3 per cent, which was regarded as the irreducible minimum. "There is. no doubt," added Mrs. Parkes, "that the pre-natal .work carried on by the society and other institutions during the past few years has materially helped to bring 'aboutv,this.splendid result." ■>

The. society's balance-sheet showed a credit balance,of.' £1696, and an excess of assets over liabilities of £6797. The credit balance was due to two collections made'in the one financial year and the amount in hand would be fully absorbed by.the end of the month. An amount .of £108, more than last year, was taken from the boxes at headquarters and suburban . offices, which this year contained. £458. The trustees' of the Auckland Sayings Bank were responsible for a generous donation of £2000 to extinguish the!' debt on headquarters in Symonds. Street. The Auckland Rotary Club had'offered to raise an amount of money sufficient. to cover. the cost' of necessary, additions, .to", headquarters, whjeh will cost approximately £500.

Sister .Hannah'spoke of the efforts of the. societyfs : work as she and her fellow-

workers'.-at the mission saw■: it, apa" from the statistical side. She was amazed at the action of the Government in reducing the grant of the society. She regarded it as an uneconomical measure. Appreciation of the society's work and also of its founder, Sir Truby.King, w« expressed by Sir George W s also expressed, regret at the cutting down of the grant and hoped that when tJ Supplementary Estimates came, up W consideration the grant might restored. . '"■:■ Appreciation of the work done ..by m Parkes, the president, and Miss ■■£» ridge, honorary secretary, was express? 0 .