YOUTH OF DOMINION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 210, 3 August 1940, Page 8

YOUTH OF DOMINION.

FITNESS STAND ADD. DOCTOR ASTOUNDED. gIsBOB NE. Aug. 2. A Gisborne doctor basing his opinions on observations as a member of the medical board examining recruits lor the Fighting Forces to-day declared that compulsory training of the youth of the Dominion, intelligently applied, will restore much of the vigour that characterised the older generations, and check the definite drift to a C 3 condition among the young moil ol New Zealand. The general public had no conception of how greatly the average young man of to-day differed in physical stature and development from those of the earlier generations. He had been astounded to sco how poorly developed were some of the youths who presented themselves for examination. “Some of these hoys do not know how to take a good depth breath, and expand their chests.” he said. “They have no idea of correct, posture, and they admit, without hesitation in. many cases, that they had never tried to condition themselves for any kind ol sport. The scale of physical development isliown not in a mere matter of muscle, hut. in conformation of the trunk and limbs, ranged from excellent to poor, and very poor. The poor ami very poor specimens deserved sympathy rather than condemnation, for the fault was not theirs so much as their elders.”

His experience pointed to a definite want of proper supervision of the youth in the schools, as well as to a wrong outlook upon obysical activity on the part of the individual. In many schools nlivsical training, which was obligatory in the curriculum, was carried out perfunctorily. and without any attention to the needs of the individual case.