CRIPPLED YOUTH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 183, 4 August 1936, Page 11

CRIPPLED YOUTH.

DOMINION MOVEMENT. IMPORTANT STAGE REACHED. VALUE OF EARLY TREATMENT. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. The annual meeting of the New Zealand Crippled Children Society is being held with delegates present from the districts of the 14 branches. Mr. Justice Smith, president, was in the chair. The meeting was opened by Lady Gal way, who said that in England the Crippled Children's Society was an important organisation and did splendid work. A great impetus to the movement in New Zealand had been given by the magnificent gifts of Lord Nuffield and Mi-. W. R. Wilson, of Auckland. Mr. Justice Smith reviewed the work accomplished in the past year. He mentioned different ways in which, particularly, the work of the hospital boards and educational authorities could be supplemented by the society. Referring to the survey largely carried out in the Dominion in regard to the number of cripples, he said that 1009 cases had been recorded by the various branches. It was of paramount importance, he said, to deal with incipient cases. The weight of modern authority was that 90 per cent or even 95 per cent of cripples could be cured if treated in the incipient stage. He referred to the economic administration of the society, which had the great advantage of enabling the money subscribed to reach the cripple. The object of the society was to co-operate with and assist all existing agencies, and to supplement their efforts with a view, firstly, of preventing incipient cases from developing, and, secondly, of ensuring that actual cripples will have the enjoyment of their full working life and leisure, without pain. Delegates gave an outline of the work done by the various branches.