Low Infant Mortality Rate In N.Z. Last Year

Northern Advocate, 28 September 1949, Page 2

Low Infant Mortality Rate In N.Z. Last Year

The European infant mortality rate last year, 21.93 per 1000 of live births, was the lowest ever achieved, and the Maori rate, 76.67, was the third lowest recorded, stated the annual report of the Health Department, presented to Parliament yesterday.

The rate for the two races combined was 24.75.

The report stated that the Plunket Society’s activities had been an important factor in reducing the infant mortality rate, particularly in the group aged from one to 12 months. The maternal mortality rate for Europeans, including deaths from septic abortion, totalled 1.26 per 1000 live births in 1943, or, excluding septic abortion, 1.06.

The Maori rate was 1.82, the lowest recorded; in 1939 it was 4.62.

The two prisoners who escaped from the Mt Crawford prison, Robert Bernard Howe and Oliver James Reece Bull, were found at 5.30 yesterday afternoon by a Wairarapa police patrol in some scrub in a gully at the lower end of Western Lake. They surrendered without any trouble and were later handed over to a Wellington police party and taken to Wellington. $ • * *

An important change in the complex King Country liquor question is the decision of the Ohura Cosmopolitan Club to admit Maori membei-s. The proposal, which was defeated overwhelmingly six months ago, was affirmed by a two-thirds majority. The change of attitude was stated by a member of the executive to be due to changes made by the Licensing Amendment Bill, 1948, which placed Maoris on an equal footing with Europeans as far as liquor is concerned. Members of the club also feel that sly grog selling would be rampant as long as Maoris were denied the decent drinking facilities available for Europeans.

“We must now endeavour to bring the new port extension into being in our time,” said the chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board (Mr W. F McCallum) at yesterday’s board meeting. The board expressed its appreciation to the Minister of Marine (Mr Hackett) for handling the Auckland Harbour Development Bill through the House of Representatives, and commended Mr McCallum for his tenacity in overcoming difficulties experienced in Wellington. “I hope we will go ahead with our plans and show the rest of the country that local government can play its part,” said Mr N. Donaldson. * «. ■» *

Early installation of a radio telephone service on Great Barrier Island was sought by Mr D. M. Rae (O—Parnell) In the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon. He said the Postmaster-General (Mr Hackett) had stated that the service had been postponed for about a year because of the shortage of equipment. The need was urgent, said Mr Rae, because the people were served by a submarine cable from Tryphena to Coromandel, where it linked up with the Thames circuit, and it was extremely difficult sometimes to communicate with Auckland.

The urgent need for a services’ hostel in Auckland, as outlined on Sunday by Captain A. C. Duckworth, naval officer-in-charge at Auckland, was raised in the House of Representatives yesterday by Dr A. M. Finlay (G — North Shore). Dr Finlay asked the Minister of Defence (Mr Jones) to give this matter his early and favourable consideration.

Answering an inquiry from Mr A. C. Baxter (G—Raglan) during discussion of the vote for the Social Security Department in the House yesterday, Mr Parry, Minister of Social Security, said some progress had been made in discussions with the United Kingdom authorities on the reciprocity of age benefits. The Minister of Finance (Mr Nash) had carried those discussions further during his recent visit to London, but no finality had yet been reached. * •;« * *

The two British experts, Sir William Halcrow and Mr J. P. Thomas, who have arrived to investigate Auckland’s transport problems, were entertained to morning tea by the Government yesterday. Among those present were the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) the Minister of Works (Mr Semple) the Minister of Transport (Mr Hackett) the‘Minister of Finance (Mr Nash) the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Holland) the Commissioner oi Works (Mr E. R. McKillop) and representatives of engineeers’ organisation s.