PROTECTION OF INFANT LIFE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12904, 9 September 1907, Page 3

PROTECTION OF INFANT LIFE.

YEW CONTROL OP ADMINISTRATION.

REMARKS BY THE HON. G. FOWLDS.

In the course of his speech at thn opening of the Technical College on Saturday, the Hon. G. Fowlds, Minister for Education, referred to the transference of the administration or the Infant Life Protection Act from ths Police Department to the Education Department. "Wβ are recognising,' , the Minister remarked, "that education must corer the whole scope of human life, and a most gratifying feature of the present day is the deepening interest that is being centred in the subject of the protection of infant life. The recognition by the State in this country ot its duties and responsibilities in connection with this matter has been most marked. Within the last week or so you have, no doubt, seen that it nas been decided by the Government to transfer the administration of the Infant Life Protection Act, and to bring it under the aogis of the Education Department. I think that ie a very proper decision. Some ancient philcscipher, when asked when education should begin, replied, "Two or three hundred years before the child is born. -, (Laughter.) There is a great deal in that statement, and in ISow Zealand we recognise that, in respect to infants that come under the Infant Life Protection Act, educations begins as soon as they are born. Some people think that the Act should be under the Public Health Department or the Hospital Department. AH

those are under my control, so it matters little which has charge of the administration of the Act. Having given full consideration to the matter, I came to tho conclusion that the Education Department is fitted to undertake the work. Under the Industrial Schools Act, we have already charge of a great many infants anU young people, and the figures showing tho beneficial results of the work ot tho Department are the very best testimony that can be offered regarding ite fit-noes to take over the administration of the Infant Life Protection -Act. The police deserve very great credit for the manner in which they administered the Act, and the change taking place is by no means a censure on the polioe—it" is simply a recognition that the machinery at the disposal of the polioe is not the best possible for taking care of these infants." In further remarks Mr Fowlds saiu that when he pointed' out that the death rate of the children under tho Infant Life Protection Act was 17 per thousand, as against 7 per thousand of the children born in the colony that did not come under the Act, it showed what a tremendous loss o» life had been taking place, and the need that existed for eomo efficient method of supervising and 1 taking care of these children.