PLUNKET SOCIETY

Evening Star, Issue 20570, 23 August 1930, Page 19

PLUNKET SOCIETY

MONTHLY MEETING Tho monthly meeting of tlio Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children was held in the Plunket office yesterday. ' There were present;■—Mesdames Johnstone (chairwoman), J. C. M'Georgo, Solomon, Barnett, Cox, Williams,_ Cairney, Arundel (Mosgiel), Miss Held, and the scc-.-retary, •, Lady Sidey was granted leave of absence during Tier forthcoming absence from New Zealand. In reference to the recent deputation from the Central Council of the Plunket Society which waited upon the ■Prime Minister and the Minister of Health ia Wellington last week, the Central Council reported that a telegram had been received from the Minister of Health intimating that provision had now been made on the combined Main and Supplementary Estimates to meet the society’s requirements for the curent year. Arrangements were diseased in regard to the holding of the society’s annual Daffodil Day street sale and collection on Friday, October 3. Mrs Johnstone reported that the Society of Musicians of Otago had , consented to give a concert in the concert chamber of the Town Hall on Wednesday, September 24, 1 in aid of the funds of the Plunket Society, and that this concert would bo given under Vice-regal patronage. The members of the _ committee expresed their appreciation of the action of tho Society of Musicians in assisting the work of the Plunket Society in this way. The Matron of the Karitane-Hams Hospital, Anderson’s Bay, reported as follows for the month of July, 1930: Admissions during the month—mothers 12, babies .22; discharges, mothers 15, babies 23; largest number in residence on any one day, mothers 7, babies 25. Six premature babies had been admitted during the month, and all have made satisfactory progress. Sources ot admission—Port Chalmers, Cromwell,' Daifield, Balclutha, Invercargill, Waipiata, Temuka, Dunedin, and suburbs. Visitors for the month numbered 160. Three candidates sat for the Kantano nurses’ examination and 19 for tho Plunket nurses’ examination at tha end of July. During the month there bad been 20 Plunket nurses and 16 Karitane nurses in training. One Karita’ie nurse had been admitted for a two weeks’ refresher course. Twenty-six medical students had attends 1 ,in groups of seven for four mornings weekly from 9 o’clock to 12 o’clock. The Plunket nurses for the North and Central Dunedin districts reported as follows for the month of July;— Babies on the list, 829; older children on the list, 235; new cases for tho month (babies only), 38; babies breastfed (including partly), new cases, 35; visits paid to liomes, 608; visits paid to Plunket rooms, Stuart street, 256 mothers, 177 babies, 40 older children; lloahn—l34 mothers, 125 babies. 17 older children; Mornington—mothers, 109, babies 93, older children 22; North-east Valley—mothers 89, babies 84, older children 16; Kelsey-Yaralla Kindergarten—mothers 60, babies 52, older children 17; bottles of humanised milk sent out from Taieri and Peninsula Dairy, 1,554. The Plunket nurse for the Caversham district and outstations (north line) refunded as follows for the month of July-Babies on the list, 209; new cases for the month, 16; babies breastfed (including partly), new cases, 13; visits paid to liomes, 220; visits paid to Plunket rooms,, Stuart street-mothers 38, babies 32, older children 6; Caversham—mothers 109, babies 105, older children 20: outstations—mothers 76, babies 62, older children 25; visits paid to outstations—Port Chalmers 6, St. Leonards 5, Maia 1, Ravensbourne 4, Macandrow Bay 5, Burkes 1. Tho .Plunket nurse for, tho South Dunedin district reported as follows for ,tho month of July:—Babies on the list, 458; new cases_ for the month (babies only), 23; babies breast-fed (including partly), new cases, 23; visits paid to homes, 273; visits paid to Plunket rooms. 315 King Edward street, South Dunedin—mothers 230,. babies 219, older children 31. The Plunket nurse for Anderson's Bay district and outstations (south line) reported as follows for the month of July;—Babies on the list, 272; new cases for tho month (babies-only), 14. babies breast-fed (including partly), new cases, 13: visits, paid to Plunket rooms, Anderson’s Bay—mothers 119, babies 103, older children 38: Mosgiel—mothers 74, babies 66, olde” children 11; Green Island—mothers 40, babies 35, .older children 7; visits to homes—Anderson’s Bay 97. Mosgiel 16, Outram 5, Green island and Abbotsford 15. The following visits were paid to outstations:—Mosgiel 5, Outram 2, Abbotsford 5, Green. Island 5.

■ 111 I STREET NAMES. TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—No name board exists on CalderJ avenue, North-east. Valley, which -is alongside the Valley Post Office, Are the Post Office officials expected to in- ;| form people of these streets? Two streets further on, Arnold street 1 think, has two plates, one wood and .one metal. ■ Is nobody responsible for the placing of these boards?—l am, ' etc., Akxoyed. August 23. STRAW VOTES v. REAL VOTES. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, —It has often been pointed out that it is an easy thing, by means of a poll such as the * Literary Digest 5 recently conducted, to build up what looks like strong sentiment against Prohibition. When there is no careful check on the voting, and when *he result can make no actual difference in conditions, people vote light-heartedly the liquor supporters are always in force, whilst the “ dry ” forces are urged not to par-’ ticipate. This was the condition in connection with the ‘ Literary Digest ’; poll. The situation in Pennsylvania, according to the ‘ Digest ’ votes, showed that, whilst there were only .147,657 votes in favour of maintaining Prohibition, there were 379,296 for modification or repeal. In May last, quite soon; after the ‘ Literary Digest ’ had published its results, there was a primary election held in Pennsylvania to elect a senator and governor for the State. The “wets” had nominated an entire ticket, but when the people went to the poll they recorded a total vote of approximately 1,513,000 votes, and Gifford Pinchot, a “ dry ” of “ drys,” was elected governor, with 635,000 votes, whilst the “ wet ” candidate for governor, L. W. Pbillipps, received only 260,000 votes. In the fight for the senator, James J. Davis, present Secretary for Labour , as thoroughly “ dry,” received 750,000 votes, whilst his opponent, the “wet,” H. Bolen, received only 230,000 votes. In few words the “ wet ” candidates received only 17 per cent, of the vote?, .whilst the “ dry ” candidates received 83 per cent., and yet, according to the ‘ Literary Digest ’ straw _ poll, Pennsylvania had voted by practically two to one in favour of modification or repeal of the Prohibition law. ,

In Florida, Mrs R. ; Bryan Owen, a daughter of William Jennings Bryan and an outstanding “ dry,” was elected to Congress by a rote of almost four to one over her “ wet ” opponent. Commenting on this, Will Rogers, the national humourist, said: “ I see where Ruth Bryan Owen beat a 8 wet * in Florida. They , just won’t let me oount the 8 Literary Digest ’ votes in these regular elections.”—l am, etc., , Truth Will Out. August 23. .

SUNDAY TENNIS. ■■ to 111 sortox. Sir,-—I notice in to-night's 8 Star 5 that the Ocean Beach Domain Board, in its wisdom, has seen fit to prevent tlie St. Clair Lawn Tennis Club from allowing Sunday tennis on its new courts. The only reason given for this is some obscure argument about sport not being allowed on the city reserves on Sundays. Perhaps members of the board have never seen football being played on the Oval on a Sunday afternoon, or golf on the links at Belleknowes, yet on both of these reserves the sport is carried on in full view of all passers-by. Now, on the new courts at St. Clair, where a high fence precludes anybody passing along Victoria road from seeing into , the courts at all Sunday play is to be prohibited. Is this consistency? Sunday play is permitted in every other city in New Zealand and also on quite a number of other courts hr Dunedin, so 1 altogether fail to see why the Domain Board should bar it at St. Clair. lam a member of the St. Clair Club, and am only one of many of the younger members of the club who are shut up all day and every day in an office which never sees the sun’s rays from one year’s end till the next, and in which electric lights have to be used for illumination all the year round. Sunday is the only day in the week on which wo can get out in the fresh air and sunshine and enjoy ourselves, and now the Domain Board bars iis from getting tins very necessary and muchneeded exercise in the fresh air. The St. Clair Club is run by a committee of energetic young men. through whose efforts and hard work pur new courts have become an accomplished fact, and now, much to our dismay, we are to be debarred from using them on our only free day in the week. Has the board considered the question from that angle, or, .may I ask, has it given due consideration to the question in any way whatsoever? Following on this decision, I suppose we may now expect the board to cut out Sunday bathing on the Ocean Beach this year, but will it? Again, 1 wonder how many members of the hoard take the family out for a drive in their motor cars on Sundays, or perhaps even some of them may indulge

in a game of golf to blow away th« cobwebs after a week’s toil. Bat when, we very humbly ask to be permitted, to play tennis on our own courts on Sundays the answer is 88 Noi" It seems to me that Dunedin is run by a lot of 88 spoil-sports,” who seem to forget that they were: ever young themselves, and whose sole idea seems to be to turn the place into a perpetual Sunday School. I maintain that this matter of Sunday play is essentially one of individual decision, and is not a matter on which hard-and-fast rules can be laid down, so why should the board, interfere? Nobody is asking the board to break the Sabbath. Trusting that it will alter its decision—l am, etc.. Mens Sana in Corpobe Saxo* August 22. THE SKATING RINK. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Should a fire happen at the new skating rink in Cumberland street another disaster similar to the Paisley cinema fire would be inevitable. There is only one exit,.and the time taken to let the crowd in every evening, especially Saturdays, is some indication of the stampede and block that would occur in a fire. On Sa&irday nights the average time to pass through the queue is one hour. It must be remembered that half the people rushing this exit would be on skates, and, becoming excited, would fall. A picture too awful to conjecture would, be the result. Has the City Council no responsibilty in this connection to allow this to continue? Parents should bear this danger in mind when their yonng people have gone to the skating rink. Also, why, does the council allow queues to form right across Cumberland street, even of an ordinary afternoon, to the danger of traffic -and pedestrians? Also, would a proper parking place for cars not be possible in the vicinity?I am, etc., Anxious. August 23. v [The danger of fire is negligible. In any case, the swing doors at the main entrance can be wide, and there is another wide exit into the section at the side of the building. Smoking is strictly prohibited;in the t skate-room and the hall itself, and proper facilities for smokers are provided in the lobbies. 88 Anxious ” is wrong in stating that the queue :on a Saturday night takes an hour to clear. ; People continue to arrive at the rink till well after 8 o’clock. The rink is cleared within a few minutes nightly, when only one exit is half opened. The formation of a queue across the street has been stopped now for several weeks, and Sedestrians and motorists Eire not.en-dangered,—-Ed. E.S.] >■ . ,