PHYSICAL WELFARE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 305, 24 November 1937, Page 9

PHYSICAL WELFARE.

BILL PASSES UPPER HOUSE. VALUE OF TRAINING. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Nov. 23. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. Moving the second reading of the Physical Welfare and Recreation Bill, the Leader of the Council (Hon. M. Fagan) dealt particularly with the value of swimming and quoted figures to show that New Zealand had lost more ■ citizens through drowning than road accidents. Hon. V. Ward said that if the idea cf the Bill was to form a Council of Sport for the purpose of encouraging sport generally the measure would be an excellent one, but he did not think it should go further th- i that. He hoped the council would not become a Department of Sport. Hon. J. Cotter said New Zealanders had been paying a lot of attention to training the minds of their children, and had . not paid enough attention to their bodies. Hon. B. Martin said that only the healthy could enjoy life to the full, and if physical training would enable the people to enjoy life the Bill was well worth while and deserved the support of everyone. • , , Hon. E. O’Flynn discussed the value of organised sport in schools. If the training could be organised more advantage would be received from swimming baths and other 6ports facilities.

SPORT ON SUNDAYS. Sir James Allen said that physical training was of advantage to the mental and moral well-being, but he did not think that it was wise to develop physical attributes on the Sabbath, and he hoped some provision would be made to protect those who wished to worship from having cricket played outside the church door. Hon. T. Brindle said there was a tendency in the community to Vake sport an obsession and something apart from the main objects of physical well-being. They wanted to make their young people physically strong, but he hoped there would not be a tendency, as in some countries, to make them healthy young animals who would rip and tear wherever they were ordered to go. , , Hon. M. Briggs defended Sunday sport on the grounds that young people engaged at cricket or other games were engaged to their own good. Hon. G. R. Hunter expressed the hope that the Government _ would use some of the revenue derived from racing to encourage other sports. Hon. J. K. Archer said that sports properly conducted were good moral training, but quite apart from the religious aspect Sunday was well wortn preserving, especially by the working man. Now that the 40-hour week had a fairly general application Saturdav was available for sport and reFagan had replied briefly the Bill was put through the remaining stages and passed.