PHYSICAL WELFARE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 122, 19 November 1937, Page 16

PHYSICAL WELFARE

DIRECTOR SUGGESTED

& MR. J. E. LOVELOCK

MEASURE PASSED

A suggestion that the services of J. E. Lovelock, the New Zealand athlete and Olympic champion, should be retained as director of physical welfare, was made in the House of Representatives by Mr. S. G. Holland (National, Christchurch North) yesterday afternoon when the Physical Welfare and Recreation Bill was being discussed in Committee.

Mr. Holland said that Lovelock was an outstanding man for this position, and was a New Zealander, and it was generally felt that New Zealand should retain the services of its eminent countrymen. "You could not get a better man in the world," said Mr. Holland. "He would receive any overtures sympathetically, and would consider any appointment that was offered to him."

During the course of the Committee's discussion, Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (National, Waitomo) told the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry) that sports bodies were looking forward keenly to some announcement by the Minister about the question of grants. The Minister: That is impossible without a survey. Mr. Broadfoot: I realise that. I hope that some assistance will be given to some of the weaker organisations. ENOUGH SPORT NOW. Mr. W. A. Bodkin (National, Central Otago) said he doubted whether there was any country in the world that had more facilities for sport than New Zealand. He realised the part that sport played in building up health, but he did not think that the provision of any extra facilities would make any difference. He suggested that a survey of the health of the school children should be made. He was pleased to see that the Education Department was co-operating in the matter. If the survey disclosed that a considerable portion of child life was below standard, then it should demand Government attention. Mr. Holland suggested that there should be some provision for denning the period of appointment of the council, and that the Minister should have the right to revise the personnel of the council. He asked whether it was proposed to make grants for the purchase of playing materials. Mr. J. A. Lee (Government, Grey Lynn) said that the Minister should secure a Director who could prevail on the people ot take hikes rather than have walking races round a track. Physical drill was all very well, but it could become very monotonous, and he. hoped.-, the Director would be a person who realised that physical wellbeing could come from organised dancing rather than from the same amount of physical drilL The intellectual side on the people to take hikes rather than as the physical side, otherwise they would develop large muscles at the expense of disintegrated intellects. MINISTERS CO-OPERATING. Replying to questions from Opposition members, the Minister of Health (the Hon. P. Fraser) said that there was the., closest co-operation between the Minister of Internal Affairs and himself on the question of physical development. Provision had been made for physical education in the schools a number of years ago, but, like many other services, it had been affected by the policy of the late1 Government during the depression. He hoped not only to restore the standards that had been attained in the past, but also to improve on them. , The importance of physical .education in the schools was fully realised, and the Government hoped to continue that physical education from the kindergarten to adult years. It was realised also that it was not merely a question of exercises and games, but also of proper nutrition, fresh air, and sunlight. . Mr. S. G. Smith (National, New Plymouth) suggested that provision should be made in the Bill for the Director of Education and the Director-General of Health to be represented on the national council if necessary. They were both in charge of big Departments, he said, and their time was fully occupied at present He also urged that two women representatives.... of sports should be included on the council Mr. Bodkin said it seemed to him that to carry out the purposes of the Bill efficiently the first step should be to make a survey of all the children in the schools. If there was found to be a large number below a normal standard, then those children, should be a special care of the State. That should be borne in mind when the appointments to the national council were being made. Mr. E. A. Wright (Independent, Wellington Suburbs), discussing the question of cost, said that surely the Minister and Cabinet had some idea of how much money would be involved. He warned the Minister that there was a very great chance of his having a "very rocky" time when it came to applications for loans, unless he kept a tight rein on things from the start. He ' suggested that members of the council should be appointed for a period of twelve months, the appointment to be reviewed at the end of that time. MINISTER'S REPLY. Mr. Parry said that there was no need for anyone •to be fearful about the operation of the Act." The Bill might be a new thing, but he knew by the communications that he had received from all parts of the country that it had the good will of the nation. It was true that the public of New Zealand would nave to pay for the scheme, but as the public approved of it he was sure there would be no objection to paying for physical wellbeing and good health. He could not give even an approximate idea of the cost until a national survey to ascertain the requirements of the country had been made, but he could say that the first year would not be costly because it would take six months to find out what was required. He proposed to appoint the council as soon as possible so that the job could proceed.

Replying to Mr. Smith, the Minister said that reference to the Bill would show that the Director .of Education and the Director-General of Health could.be represented by someone else. As far as appointing women to the council was concerned, he realised that women played a large part in sport, and he could assure the House that they would not be overlooked.

The Bill was put through the remaining stages, read a third time, and passed.