The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun. MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1937. A COUNCIL OF SPORT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 235, 4 October 1937, Page 6

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1937. A COUNCIL OF SPORT.

(k« cause that lack* anrtatamm, For the vrrona that need* reaiatamm. For the future in the distinct, And the good that we emm do.

Early next, year Parliament is likely to pn-s legislation to establish a national system of health insurance. Although the exact nature of the system which the Government will propose is not known, the purpose at least is well understood. It is to give men and women .some security against the economic consequences of ill-health. As ill-health is a familiar spectacle, and perfect health throughout life is remarkably exceptional, the wisdom of endeavouring to establish a system of insurance is not doubted by many people. [11-health, in fact, is accepted as the almost inevitable Jot of man. Will the insurance legislation strengthen that belief? That it will tend to rlo so is certain, unless, concurrently with the introduction of the insurance system, there is launched a campaign for

physical titiif.-ss. The legislation which the Minister of rnternnl Affairs, Mr. Parry, means to introduce shortly is, in its possibilities, of immense importance. It has been described ns a Bill to establish a National Council of Sport—which arouses little enthusiasm—but its object is only incidentally to foster sport. Its object is to encourage the attainment and maintenance of physical fitness through all forms of recreation, including sport. Such an effort was never more necessary, nor more timely, than now. The amount of ill-health in the community is a standing reproach to the Dominion. The cost of it, even if only the expenditure on public hospitals be considered, is a great and growing burden. A large number of people, through reduction in working time, find themselves with more leisure than ever before. Superficially regarded, this increase of leisure should make for better health, but it will not do so unless people are enabled to use it wisely.

The campaign which it is hoped will be launched after the legislation is passed is essentially one which requires for its success a large amount of local, voluntary co-operation. The Government will make a grant of money, and there will be a national, central organisation, but neither the expenditure of the first nor the best efforts of the second will have permanent good results unless they are supported in every town and country district in the Dominion. The manner in which that support can be given is not yet clear. That it will be given if the legislation and the ensuing organisation are wisely designed and developed need not be doubted. It is significant that in Britain the national physical fitness campaign has been inaugurated by the Prime Minister at an all-party conference which was attended also by three former Health Ministers, representatives of local authorities and doctors. Thus was indicated the widespread recognition of the need and value of the campaign in Britain. In New Zealand its need and value are no less.