LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
DR. PURDY REGARDING THE MEDICAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Sir,—No sooner does the president of tho New Zealand Medical Association reach this subject—the medical examinations of public schools—than he emerges from the pessimistic fog regarding cancer and its cure to serene heights of an enthusiastic and. benevolent optimism. So thoroughly and authoritatively will the children be instructed ,in health conditions, so vastly and universally will they benefit thereby, that within a generation or two the medical profession will have secured its own extinction, eaten up by the zeal of preventing disease. Such unprecedented ' professional self-sacrifice would surely be one of the signs heralding the millennium. '. Now, in England, there baa been a strong publio opinion against the admission of medical examiners into the board schools, and this has only lately been secured ,by the Parliamentary influence of the profession itself. So far as I am able to judge, the opposition to the admission of examiners is well founded. -It was agreed that if made compulsory it would be an interference and assault upon personal and parental rights. .'■■■'. . , "When once you interfere with the order of Nature there. is no knowing where the results will, end," said a distinguished biologist to the . late. Herbert Spencer who,, in his last work, "Facts, and Comments,-' , applied it to vaccination. It is no less applicable to the admission of medical men to the public schools. To do or to attempt that which is to the parents an intuitive daw—animpelling instinct—the preservation of the life and health of its offspring. Take that old prophetic. illustration of this order of Nature: "As an eagle etirreth up her nest, flutteroth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth ithem on her wiugs." If this parental instinct be .cherished^ and appealed to it will prove amply efficient. It will not ask another to do what it can do for itself and do better than anybody else/ : ,',-.,,, ~ Moreover, for what'are v school committees appointed, if not to ensure and promote the health and healthful development of the children? Hygiene is .already included, to some extent, in the school curriculum, and medical aid may best- be rendered- by delivering in every town public' health; lectures. Only in the case of a" general epidemic should medical attention be called in. -There.js one chronic epidemic in this colony, the premature decay and loss. of the teeth; and' here the only requisite and competent medical aid • is that, of the dental surgeon. With all due respect to the medical profession, it is not' qualified to, undertake the examination of children'e teeth. That is a special department outside its wide domain requiring a special training and experience, that is, an. up-to-date dental education: and ability. The examination of the teeth is a true dental test. The' qualified and capable dentist of to-day has an array of needlepointed, many-shaped instruments called "searchers,".',but , what',-he ' discovers depends upon'his power of observation, his delicate manipulative skill, his experience, and; in, fact, his scientific mentality. _ I have known a 'dentist .examine a mouth: and say: "I can only find two or-three cavities/' and I have known ' another examine the same., mouth, and find.ia legion of cavities, incipient or 'developed. He examines also' the tissues of'":■ tiH> :i teeth, and notes.their indications. .'Tor' the teeth are "tell-tales;" they are con-,: stitutional and- historical, records. .On: these enamel and dentine 'walls are char-, actered the heritage.',' l of;Jphysical : '.'features>" and health conditions; 'And" sihcV the national physique, and -existence depends to an incalculable. extent upon the effi-, ciency of the teeth and thorough masti-' cation, dental practitioners in schools and out of schools will not. say neces-, sary evils—but essential benefactors of the human, race.
Once introduce medical inspection of schools and" with-it , -may come -official endeavours to impose vaccination and the odious; treatment of diseases'.. by serums and anti-toxins. A profession eo capable as Dr. Puidy implies, of selfimmolation, soars high above the beggarly question of honorarium and national expenditure.—-I am, etc., EDWIN COX. Hall\Street, Cambridge, March 8, 1910. A NICE POINT. Sir,—l notice in the press a paragraph headed "A Tattersall's Sweep.., Case." t This is a case in which the New.Zeaj, land police have arrested a man for'failing to disgorge a certain portion of money alleged to have been won through Tattersall's sweep. I was under the impression that the sweep in question, and in fact any lottery, had been proclaimed by Act of Parliament, illegal, consequently the. logical conclusion such a , sweep cannot: be recognised law- courts.: Lam of opinion that -this is a nice point for our Crown solicitor t3 decide. What do you think?—l am, et °" AGNES P. MASON.
EARTH SCARS ■; Siri—My' attention was'-. drawn ,• to a paragraph in your valuable paper of Match.3, "To green-leaves or unsightly rocks" '■' There you say, , "Now that the season for planting shrubs and seeds is approaching again, the Mayor, Dr. Newman, is looking about for some means of putting a clothing of foliage over some of the 'many, earth scars which smite the eyes in various quarters of the city." Yes, sir, that is only too true, and especially the eye of those that love trees, plants, and flowers, and when you speak of Dr. -Newman, you speak of a gentleman "that wants to ba up and doing something that, will be an: improvement to those places. He (Dr. Newman), is a practical man, and the people must'come forward and help him if anything is to be done. They were wise in their selection when, they elected him Mayor. They can see now that they have a live man in that chair, and that he means to do all he can for their city, especially in trying to cover those barren hills. Well, sir, it is a very largo order, indeed. But it can be done. Now, the Mayor is only one l man, and can't do much by himself. He must have help, he must have money, he wants men with knowledge of this kind of work to help him. Of course, Dr. Newman will find men that have the knowledge of plants most suitable for clothing the clay and stoney'ground on these windy hills. Now, if the wealthy ones of Wellington will give liberally of their riches, then Dr. Newman's idea will be a certainty—it will •be done. I will help him with the little knowledge I have of this work and of plants, their likes and dislikes. And if these plants are well chosen then it will be a success, and greatly add to the beauty of the city. < Some people will say native' plants are the right thing. How do they know this? I say they are not, and not bo easy to grow as some think, and they are not the best by any means. If you wish to make a native plantation, then,get back over the hills to the; north-west of the city and do it. That, is what should be done in any case. Will the City Council see to that, instead of wasting so much money on little plots of land, as they do? There must bs something very much at fault.-,in the : council's gardening of Wellington, for, I find that they spend a large sum of money on them, and what is. there to see for that outlay? Just some playgrounds.. They.are. useful, but tiere is no. beauty., in: them,', .and' I am not speaking of playgrounds. I am epeat ing of the money spent on the so-called gardens and other little plots of ground in various'places. Top much labour and care is bestowed on them, while you have hundreds of acres of land waiting for the planter. It is time the people made a stir about thie eort of thing, and "got a bustle" on. Seventy thousand people, and not a garden worth the public'or ■private.' Shame! Look at Auckland, Christchurch, and other places. See what, they aie doing, Why should Wellington drag along so slowly in , beautifying the city'with trees on the hilltops, and good gardens below, and places where people can pro and get a rest, somewhere between Lambton and the top of Cuba Street. . . . . . ,
Bert I am getting away from the subject of trees and plants and hill" of day that must be planted. It may be eaid it cannot be done because of the wind. That is all nonsense. Man will get over all the obstacles that stand in the way if he has the will and goes about it in the right way. I have made a study of this kind of work for years, and havo been spending; the last 18 months in Wellington, so have had a good look round, on and into things a bit, and what have I found? Well, just this, I find that tho City Council employ a lot of gardeners, spend a large, sum of Money yearly, and what can you see for men and all the money spent? Now, if things are to continue in the same way, well then, send to Mr Rockefeller, ask him for a million or two. You will want it. Birt why not spend the money you have to the best advantage, instead of on a few littlo spots of ground here and there ? When there is so : much land waiting to be planted, why should ..they plant ten or twelve shrubs on spots where there is only room for two if they will only allow them to gTow? It is a waste of plants, it is a waste of money, it is wasted labour spent on these wasted plants trimming them up like boys' heads, fiddling round, cleaning lip the spoil. It ie vandalism to cut plants as they do. Why, I saw two men and. one horse on a lawnmower—cannot one man do that ? But I have said enough, as I have taken up coo much of valuable space already, but, sir, I am very much interested—l am, etc.,- ' I. HESTBE. Napier, March H, 1910.
WELLINGTON'S THEATRES-SOME RECOLLECTIONS, Sir, —In your summary of theatres and' opera'houses up to the completion of 'the King's Theatre in The Dominion of, this day's date, March 15, there, are errors and omissions. For instance, your summary states that the first :Opera.House in -Manners Street was opened by MacMahon and Leitch's Dramatic Company. It is correct that they opened the first brick Opera House. The writer was chairman of directors at the building of. that Opera" House, and also chairman of directors when it was rebuilt as tho third Opera House on the Manners Street site after the second fire. The first Opera Houso, a very large wooden structure, was erected in 1877, and was burnt in the great fire in 1878. MaeMahon and Leitch opened the. second one built long afterwards. The fire that burnt the first Opera House was the, greatest up. to the present time the number of buildings destroyed and. the area- of ground devastated. It started on a beautiful calm Sunday afternoon, at about, G o'clock, in a large three-story wooden building occupied by Eddie and Jack, beer and spirit: merchants,' the upper;floors being the Workinginen's Club." The fire spread on: the.. Willie . Street side 'to Cornhill Street, and ;on''the other side it burned on to and'included 1 the Bank of New Zealand. It crossed at the corner and burnt: Emery's Boyal.' Oak Hotel, and all the shops up to Dixon Street, where Gilmer's Royal Oak Hotel, now stands.' It crossed over Cuba Street and burnt the Nag's Head Hotel and all the shops down to the; corner' of Manners Street, ,, now the Union Clothing Company, and along_Maimers Street to and including the Wesloyon Church and. theii Sunday School and all the buildings behind the '.church' 1 right throngh from Manners Street to Diion Street
The Opera House was built in the previous year. by • Sconllar and Archibald, to whom a large sum of money was owing on their contract when the fire took place, and they got the freehold site of the-theatre in payment. The shareholders lost all their.shares absolutely. Years later company was'formed, and we bought the freehold fromf Messrs. Scoullar .and Archibald, and built .the 6ccond ? arid'third Opera Houses as'described in ■.thei-provious letter. An- ■ ofherJertltJriliS.'.'ithat'- describing Mr. Williani 'Boyd,'.'long the secretary of the Wellington :Trust : and Loan Company, as the owner of the. Wanganui Zoo, at Ara-moh'o.''-I have met Mr. William Boyd two months ago, when I learnt he' was going on a visit to one of his old-time directors, Mr. Tringham, at Pigeon Bush, < Featherstoh. Evidently your informant, mixed upHhe names of the two Boyds, as it is.Mr. J. J. Boyd,.builder, of Ipibirnie, who is proprietor' of the Aramoho "ZOO 7 'Wanganui. " Mr.' William' Boyd is much too far advanced in life to be able to look after a menagerie.—l am, etc., JAMES MTDOWELL. MarcK 16. \. ~.,. KA WHIA,AND.SU RRO U N DIN GS. 1' '■■ '■ Sir,—Kawhia, once a Native reservation, is now open to. settlement. It is the prettiest and most fertile .spot in the Dominion... Its ..climate :is; extremely 'healthy, here. Jts-ssottlers,-.are:i.increasing ;slowly, owing to this Dominion's obsolete .land laws and want of help and consideration for us, the slaves • who go out to hack and help create wealth for the ages ..which are .to come. Canada helps her '.settlers—New Zealand draws the last cent-oubof them. We should like to have some of your Labour Government agitators/here at 225. 6d.' per acre, fall everything to 3 feet, scrub to i inches, and paok "tucker" through. Government tracks.' How we have stuck to it so long >we don't know. It is our British cussedness, no doubt.
Wβ want a Government to open up all waste lands to settlement, no matter who are owners, and let those who ore game to take it on have the freehold of what they clear and grass first ten years for their. privations and toil. To a bloated capitalist; .things are different. He engages a manager, who spends his money. He is a blessing, although an absentee, as he helps the poor "cocky" with an odd oheque. Wβ have come out here to this Kawhia reservation and proved its real value as a fruitful land. No wonder the Natives stuck so long .'here. They won't work more than two weeks at a time, then loaf until hunger-makes them work again. Their' land is no use to them. They are all Ngatitaihoa—too lazy to work. Government have pampered them so long. The new Act will give some glorious sprees, then they will be on bedrock and must work or starve. Then, they will learn, and.may yet be some use. Many have diseased bodies which may work off in the fourth generation, but so far develop consumption. In a few more years all the healthy Maori girls having white husbands will evolve a new race. The Maori woman is treated by her Maori husband as a slave—by her white husband as a nsefin mate more ways than one. . The Maori woman is a workerr-the Maori man a loafer. This is how the ..Native land difficulty is solving itsett: tne children follow parent and become, workers.—l am, etc, ' .. •. . HEOI ANO EHUA MA. MUNICIPAL EXPENDITURE. ' .Sic,—Aβ the financial year will shortly end; I hope some councillor will move for a return showing the amount of money expended on the Botanical Gardens, ,and on Newtown Park, outside of the cost of the Zoo. From the appearance of Newtown Park, nothing has Deen done for a considerable t™ to make the few flower-beds anything but a mass of weeds, and the shubbery at the northern end is in about the same condition as it was some 'years ago, I fliiTiV the residents of Newtown are perfectly entitled to a few common flowers in the beds, leaving the expensive ones for the "toff" end of the rity.—l, am,; etc^ •;•■':\ . fair PtAT. March B.
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Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 770, 19 March 1910, Page 14
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2,650LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 770, 19 March 1910, Page 14
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