The Lyttelton Times. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1906. THE HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 14170, 19 September 1906, Page 6

The Lyttelton Times. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1906. THE HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE.

The annual report of the Health Department is a cheery -optimistic document that should be widely read. We do not know what our Conservative friends will say when they discover that the permanent head of the Department deals with such controversial topics as the rearing of babies, the munioipalisation of the milk supply, the vogue of the quack and the employment of convalescent consumptives. Of course these subjects might be supposed to- come within the legitimate sphere of the Department’s activity, hut reVn-embering how ,a. certain, other Department has been criticised, we are a little dubious. If the functions of Dr Mason and his officers began and ended with the collection of a few statistics in a dull year, the Departu&nt.would not he worth the money that is spent on it. And even as conditions stand, while we can cheerfully admit the extent and value of the,work that the Department is doing, it must be obvious that the colony might make more extensive use of it. We have been wondering when the Department would make a serious attempt to carry instruction in. the feeding and rearing of infante into the homes of the people. Dr Mason in his report mentions the prospect- of the medical examination of school children, but w© are afraid that at the present -rate of progress there will be little that is new to be recorded when the next departmental report makes its appearance. It is passing strange to us that the other Government Departments do not obtain the assistance of the Health Department when matters of health are at stake. The Education Department has recently, we understand, given instructions for the preparation of a new set of physical exercises for the schools, hut so far as we can learn it did not think of applying to Dr Mason for advice or assistance in the matter. Nor, so far as we can discover, has the Health Department been consulted concerning the ventilation of schools or the seating accommodation for the scholars. While we are thus regretting the present restricted scope of’the Department’s work we would not have it supposed that it has not thoroughly justified its creation. There is a limit to the amount of money that Parliament is willing to vote for these -apparently non-produc-tive divisions of the State service, hue the money will be forthcoming if'Parliament is satisfied that the officers o) the Department are earnestly' endeavouring to extend, its usefulness. Wo have passing doubts as to the vigour and enthusiasm of some of the district officers, but their inactivity, of course, may be only a proof of the general healthiness of the community and the perfection of the sanitation methods. Wc should like to be sure on that point. The Maori health officers, -at any rate, are having no easy life of it. They have a terribly unresponsive constituency to work on, and the education of the natives in health matters has to be commenced from the very beginning.

The general condition of the race, happily, is distinctly improving —at least, competent observers say as much—and under the enlightened policy of the present Government there is really some justification for a sober optimism. We believe that the colonists have been always in earnest in desiring to do justice to the Maori race, and w r e cannot imagine the State begrudging whatever money is necessary to carry on the splendid work of health education in the native districts.