OPENED BY DUCHESS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 55, 7 March 1927, Page 12

OPENED BY DUCHESS

A SIMPLE CEREMONY

ROYAL VISITOR DEEPLY

EVIPRESSED

In the presence of a distinguished gathering Her Eoyal Highness the, Duchess of York to-day opened the * new Truby King" Karitane Home on Melrose heights. With the weather at its best, it was a picturesque scene, and the Duchess was deeply impressed with all she saw.

Her Eoyal Highness was received by Sir Truby King, Lady' Hosking, and Mr. S. Kirkcaldie (chairman of the Citizens' Committee), and a number of Karitane nurses formed a fitting guard of honour. Those present included the Chief Justice (Sir Charles Skerrett), Sir Frederick Chapman, the Hon. G. J. Anderson, the Hon. A. D. M'Leod, the Hon. O. J. Hawken, the Hon. X S Williams, the Hon. E. F. Bollard, the Hon. W. Nosworthy, the Hon. J. A Young (Minister of Health), the Hon E. A. Wright, the Hon. F. J. Eolleston, the Hon. Sir Maui Pomare, the Mayor (Mr. C. B. Norwood), Mr. A. Gray K.C., Mr. M. Myers, K.C., and many others.

Addressing Her Eoyal Highness. Mr Kirkcaldie, on behalf of the Citizens' Committee, said:—

"May it please Your Eoyal Highness. It is my privilege as chairman of the Citizens' Committee of the Wellington Provincial , District of the Plunket Society constituted to obtain the necessary fund to provide for the erection and equipment of these buildings to express to Your Boyal Highness our gratification that you should be so graciously pleased to come up' here this morning and to conduct the official opening of the Wellington Plunket Karitane Home. It is also gratifying to us to know that you are taking an active interest in the welfare of women and children in the Homeland..

'' Among the many splendid organisations that we have to-day whose aim and ideal it is to further the health and prosperity of the nation, the Plunket Society (founded by Sir Truby King and his wife) must surely rank as a great national asset. The building which we will presently ask Your Boyal Highness to declare 'open' has been designed for the purpose of affording adequate accommodation for those women who desire to train and qualify as Karitane nurses on the lines laid down by Sir Truby King. "It is pleasing to be able to inform you that the whole of the accommodation for trainees will be immediately availed of and that a long list of aspirants for training conclusively proves the interest that the young women of this Dominion are taking in this important and very necessary profession.----"It is true that'the race marches on 'the feet of little children,' and Sir Truby King, recognising this, aimed at the highest point of national happiness and prosperity when he made the establishment and maintenance of the health of mother and child his life's work. ' ■

"It is. now 20 years ago that Dr. Truby King found three tiny babies neglected and dying in a dark lean-to attached to a licensed home for the care of infants in Dunedin. His wife willingly accepted the responsibility of their care, and her" devoted- mothering and the doctor's skill won life and eventually health for these unfortunate little ones. They throve under the care and supervision of the doctor, and so began one of the finsst societies of the world, a small beginning calling human sympathy and skill .to bear on a need that struck at the very root of our national life —the welfare* of little children. Twenty years ago, before this great work commenced —baby lives were being lost in New Zealand at the terrible rate of 75 per 1000' births. By v the official figures for last year the percentage of infantile deaths was reduced to 39.9 per thousand births.

"To provide the necessary number of nurses required the Karitane Hospitals in New Zealand have been established to afford the adequate training of these nurses. Mainly has the generosity and enthusiasm of Sir Truby King made this possible, for it is he who, when it became finally essential that a proper home be built in Wellington, came forward at once with tho offer of this splendid site. Some idea of the tremendous* growth of this work may be gauged from the fact that during the year ending March, 1927, 21,577 visits were paid by mothers to Plunket branches, and 18,535 babies came under the care of the nurses of the Plunket Society. I have now pleasure in handing you this gold key, which has been presented by the contractors for the building, and to ask you to turn the lock and declare the building "open." Having done so, I would ask you to kindly release the flag which covors the stone recording the fact that this building was opened on the 7th March, 1927, by Tour Eoyal Highness. Her Eoyal Highness then formally declared the Home open, and expressed her pleasure at being asked to perform the ceremony. In a. few brief words to Sir Truby King, she complimented him on his great work. The Duchess then opened the main door with a gold key. ■ . A TOUR OF INSPECTION. The official party then made a tour of inspection of the Home, Her Boyal Highness again complimenting Sir Truby and the 1 members of the committee on the valuable work which had been accomplished in so short a time. The Duchess also consented to make a brief appearance' on the balcony overlooking the Heads, and from this point she was given a rousing reception by the large crowd. This she graciously acknowledged. A visit was then paid to Sir Truby King's home, where the Duchess was able to see something of the work being accomplished. She visited one of the classes at work, and engaged in conversation with the children for a few minutes, showing a keen interest in their work.

As she left the Home, the Duchess was again hailed with joy by the large crowd which lined the road.

Miss Cameron, assisted by Mrs. George Nathan, supervised the furnishing of the home, and Nurse Chapman was in charge of the furnishing of the children's ward. ;