CHILD WELFARE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 1 September 1928, Page 5

CHILD WELFARE.

EXTENSION OF AYORK TO MAORIS.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, Aug. 31

The Plunket Society’s conference concluded to-day, when, the balancesheet was read and adopted. A remit from Timaru, asking the central council to inquire into the position with regard to the price oi oranges, particularly in the South Island, was carried. The council is also to be asked to take all possible steps to bring good cheap fruit within the reach o>f mothers.

ln reply to the remit that representations be made to the Minister recommending that native health nurses be given Plunket training in order to teaqh the work to the Maori race, the Hon. J. A. Young, Minister of Health, who was present said he would be pleased to give the remit sympathetic consideration and, where it was reasonable, to have such nurses acquire some knowledge of Plunket methods. The suggestion was made that the Minister of Health recommend hospital boards when making appointments to the staff of any maternity hospital or ward that preference be given to nurses who had a Ivaritane Hospital training. Also that every facility be given nurses to receive this training. Mr. Young said it was necessary to remember the difference between the mid wife and maternity nurse. A maternity nurse would not be given charge of a maternity ward. She would have to be a midwife who could take a case without a doctor. He knew very careful consideration was given to applications both by hospital boards and by the Health Department to whom recommendations were referred for the Minister’s consent. The suggestions, however, were useful, and woud serve to bring the matter before the public and under the notice of the nurses themselves.

TRIBUTE FROM PRIME MINISTER.

WELLINGTON, Aug. 31. A fine tribute to the work of the Plunket Society was paid by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, this afternoon when delegates waited upon him urging that they be. given opportunity next week to place before him the decisions of their conference. • “I want to' assure you I am very incrested in your work,”, said Mr. Coates in reply. “I want to congratulate you for coming to AYelling-t-nii and giving your time gratitously in the interests of the society. 1 think it is a matter for congratulation that we have so many people who are reailv interested in what is probably one of the finest and most important movements ever started in this country. ‘‘To some extent no doubt we have been very fortunate in having a man li' e Sir Trubv King, but with all due respect to him, and I think I know him fairly well, nothing would have been achieved had it not been for the ready co-operation of the women.” Mr. Coates added that New Zealand | had every reason to be proud of its women and of the wonderful results achieved in the effort to reduce infantile mortality. He assured the depu tation he would be only too pleased to meet them some time next week.