Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28th., 1937. MILK IN SCHOOLS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 April 1937, Page 6

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28th., 1937. MILK IN SCHOOLS.

JT is possible that health authorities, teachers, and committee|men are more enthusiastic about i 1 he regular supply of milk to .schoolchildren, than are the parents, thus, it is not expected that the deadlock at Greymouth, owing to the inability of dairymen to supply the quantities required for district schools, will arouse the parents and guardians to fury. Their general attitude seems to be apathetic towards the whole question, the fact that the proposed milk supply will not cost them anything directly, tending to encourage neutrality. Much propaganda has been issued of late, in Homeland and Overseas, as to the benefits of a daily drink of milk, and if a glass a day will keep the doctor away, so much the better, —except perhaps for the doctor. The milky way to health has its dangers. One inquiry made recently. was what the Plunket authorities think of the whole milk scheme. It is said-by some Plunket nurses that whole milk is not fit for children under 10, that it taxes the kidneys as well as the' digestion; that children reared on diluted milk thrive better than those who are given it undiluted,' and that milk being a food, it

should not be given between meals.

Doctors argue that milk is harmful to some children, due to what is termed allergy, which is short for the conditions making . one man’s meat another man’s poison. For instance, a person allergic to, say, strawberries will swell up in a painful rash almost at the sight of one. This abnormal sensitivity can exist toward all sorts of common substances and there is usually a history of such sensitivity in the sufferer’s family, not necessarily to the same substance. When milk is available to Greymouth scholars, it will be necessary to exercise discretion, and not force on some juveniles what they would be better without.

Health-slogans are always with us these days, the nation being implored to eat more fruit, meat, eggs, butter, and various other foods' Nearly as numerous are assertions from medical authorities that most people eat too much. The commercial aspect of dieting is not unimportant. In New Zealand, the cost of fruit, fish and fowl is such as to check excess in consumption. The increased demand for milk is already encouraging higher prices, and may mean that in many homes the milk formerly supplied to the younger members of the family will not be forthcoming to the same extent, the schools’ daily drink being permitted to make up for this loss. Tn consequence, some children will get little real benefit from the scheme; The deadlock regarding the supply of milk to Greymouth schools is regrettable, but the dairymen appeal’ to have good reasons why they hesitate to tender at this stage. It would appear that the Government grant to this district will have to be increased, if district scholars are to share in the national milk-supply scheme.