THE CARE OF CHILDREN

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 48, 24 February 1917, Page 4

THE CARE OF CHILDREN

The war more than anything else has fully justified the work of the Plunket Society on behalf of the babies. The terrible wastage of human life which the great conflict has already entailed on posterity has somehow to be made good. The Plunket Society, in its necessarily limited field of action, is endeavouring to do its part in making. good the loss of tho male adult life of the Dominion by war. This tho society aspires to do by concentrating on the right physical and mental upbringing of the babe born and to be born, and by devoting some attention to improving pre-natali conditions. The work is invaluable, as the society's results have shown. It hardly needs any justification here for the great task it has undertaken, and it is pleasing to record that the ministers whom the society met yesterday were of tho same opinion. Undoubtedly to Dr. Truby King the utmost credit is due for what has so far been achieved in saving and conserving human life. The doctor is a most ardent enthusiast in this work, and he has been successful in enkindling in all associated with him a like spirit.

The most formidable obstacle the society had to overcome was no doubt maternal ignorance and prejudice rather than indifference. Time alone will show how far the society has been the agency in repairing the damage done to the human life of this Dominion by the war. The value of each child to the State cannot be over-estimated, but the society, by its methods, seeks to ensure that that child shall be physically and mentally fit as well as a living asset, given a fair start in life, and up to a certain point equipped for its battles. Combined with a steadily declining birthrate, the loss of infant life from preventable causes was likely to become a serious problem for solution by those who shonld have control of the-destinies of this country to shape. The Plunket Society arrived opportunely. Its work, judged by results, has been more than successful, but it is the future that will reveal how valuable, has been the effort exerted. From 1880 the natural increase by births over deaths declined from 29.41 to 16.68 in 1914. It was high time the Plunket Society or similar organisation arrived, and that is evidently the view taken by members of the present Government in their sympathetic reception of the deputation .yesterday.