PHYSICAL WELFARE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 16 November 1937, Page 6

PHYSICAL WELFARE

MEASURE EXPLAINED BY MINISTER FRIENDLY CRITICISM [From Our Own Parliamentary Reporter] WELLINGTON, This Day. A plea (o the country not to develop a spirit of intolerance was made by the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry) in the House of Representatives last night when moving the second reading of the Fhysieal Welfare and Recreation Bill. “A spirit of intolerance in one branch of recreation towards another is not a healthy sign,” he said, “and I appeal to the community to discourage this spirit and in its place create a spirit of national co-operation.” The Minister drew attention to the increasing predisposition of the people of New Zealand, as well as those of other countries, to illness. There was, he said, no more important problem confronting mankind than this. In spite of modern scientific treatment, certain people who imagined they were suffering from ill health flocked to visit every “cure-all” that came along. This section of the community was a very easy prey to these charlatans, who did a good business. The Minister quoted figures showing the deaths from three diseases in New Zealand. In 1932, he said there were 1472 deaths from cancer in the Dominion; in 1936 that had grown to 1762, and over the five years the total deaths were 8213. In the Maori race the annual rate had increased from 25 deaths to 43 over the same period, the total being 162. Deaths from tuberculosis among the Europeans increased from 615 in 1932 to 680 in 1936, and among the Maoris from 291 to 329; and deaths from heart disease had increased from 2935 in 1932 to 3646 in 1936, while among the Maori; the deaths had increased from 73 to 103. Over the five years, said Mr Parry, deaths from all three diseases had totalled 28,885. Those figures were appalling, particularly when they remembered the advancement that had been made in science. ASSISTANCE APPRECIATED

The Minister referred to the assistance he had received in this movement from the time he made his first announcement two years ago. There were some sections of the community that were condemnatory, but the great number of people connected with sports organisations agreed that the movement was along the right lines. He had received very great support from these organisations, and he wanted to thank them for their assistance. He paid a tribute to the newspapers. In the great majority of cases the newspapers, particularly the big national newspapers h„J supported the Bill a hundred per cent. Mr Parry also expressed his thanks to his officers for their help. “The most precious jewel life can give is good health and physical fitness,” said the Minister. “Good physical and mental health should be the foundation of a good life for the individual and make him profitable to the nation to which he belongs. In fact, one of the best legacies we can hand down to the future generation is physical and ment.l fitness so that it will be able to fight its battles. Physical fitness gives confidence to the individual, without which the moral fibre of the nation is weakened. “The foundation of physical fitness go ; farther back than the schools, It has its roots embedded in and dependent upon the food we eat and also the contents of the soils in which the food is grown. Most of us to-day realise the importance of a properly balanced diet in developing the well-being of our people.” “COST WILL BE SAVED” Mr Parry said that the movement was going to cost money, but the amount that would be expended would be saved in the money that would not require to be spent on building hospitals. It would be spent for the purpose of preventing illness. An ideal would be created, an ideal of health as against that off disease and decay. Almost the last thing that most people thought about was health. Their very nature was to think in the negative instead of , in the positive. The only challenge that civilisation had to disease to-day was physical fitness and well-being. “Personally, I am unable to draw any line of demarcation between the words “physical wellbeing” and “intellectual Wellbeing,” said Mr Parry, “although I a. ee that it is possible to have a good physique without a correspondingly high standard of mentality. Neither the physical nor the mental should be developed at the expense of the other — the objective should be to develop both together. “It is no use contenting ourselves by passing resolutions and laws placing restrictions upon what others shall or shall not do unless we set out to create facilities which will take the place of those we condemn. A spirit of intolerance in one branch of recreation towards another is not a healthy sign, and my plea to the community is to discourage any spirit of intolerance, and, in its place, to endeavour to create a spirit of national co-operation towards a system that will undermine conditions that bring about physical and mental disease.” Jt is not sufficient to condemn, said the Minister, who paid a tribute to the work of the Y.M.C.A. and the Y.W.C.A. and other organisations that had to do with developing physical fitness. The proposed Act was not all they needed. It had to be administered. It had to have the backing of men and women who were interested in the question and who v/ere really alive to the necessity of it, otherwise it might become a dead letter. The Minister dealt at some length with an explanation of the various causes of the measure, and formally moved the second reading. OPPOSITION COMMENT Mr J. Hargesi (National, Awarua) said he could assure the Minister that members of the Opposition were in complete sympathy with the principles of the Bill, and if they criticised the measure in any way that criticism would not be offered in any spirit of hostility. They felt that it was their

duty to examine the legislation carefully and if they could offer any suggestions for improvements they would do so. The mere attainment of physical fitness would not end things, Mr Hargest said. Even athletes suffered from minor ailments. Mr J. B. F. Cotterill (Government, Wanganui): But the hon. gentleman will admit that physical fitness increases resistance? Mr Hargest said that he did not know that that was so. He had seen splendid physical specimens attacked by cancer. Chest development helped in tubercular cases and consequently physical fitness helped there, but as far as other ailments were concerned it was difficult to say how much physical fitness helped. Actually there was not a great deal in the Bill, Mr Hargest continued. It provided for machinery and nothing more. There was nothing in it about making people fit. A similar measure had been passed in England some months ago, but, unlike the Imperial Act, the Bill before the House made one man the virtual dictator of sport in New Zealand; it pitted all of the power in the hands of the Minister. Mr Parry: No it does not. I cannot interfere with sport. The Bill reminded him of an inverted pyramid, Mr Hargest said, with the Minister at the apex, the council outside of him and committees outside of the council, and the only man who had any power urns the Minister. The Council could set up a multitude of committees and none of them would have any pov/er. FITNESS OF YOUTHS The young people of to-day were no less fit than the young people of twenty years ago, Mr Hargest added. During the war years a tremendous number of young men were classed C2 or were unfit for any service, and the position was similar to-day. New Zealand and Australia had splendid material to work with, as a visit to any of the beaches would show, and if the great majority of the young people of the country could be brought to the standard set by the few the result would be worth a lot of money. Spasmodic training was useless, and physical training should be made attractive so that the young people would indulge in continued training. He suggested that the Minister should concentrate his endeavours upon physical training and leave the organisation of games to those organising them at present. The Bill gave the Minister extraordinary power, said Mr Hargest. The National Council would be purely advisory. Mr Parry: What do you suggest? Mr Hargest said he suggested that the Minister should follow the English Act, which simply set up a national council .to arrange for the establishment of local committees and which left all the power in the hands of the council. “The whole of the administration of this colossal Act is going to vest in the Minister,” he said. The Minister of Lands (the Hon. F. Langstone): A good Minister, too. Mr Hargest: Yes. but I say it is quite beyond the power of any individual to administer, and he is taking that power. The debate was interrupted by the adjournment at 10.30 p.m.