NATION'S HEALTH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22406, 30 April 1936, Page 18

NATION'S HEALTH

MILK CONSUMPTION LORD BLEDISLOE'S VIEWS NEW ZEALAND EXPERIENCE [from our own correspondent] LONDON, April 8 In the House of Lords the Bishop of Winchester introduced the subject of malnutrition and ill-health. He asked the Government if, in view of widespread malnutrition and the existence of a large milk surplus, it would take steps to extend still further the provision already made to supply liquid milk to school children and to initiate a scheme, on similar lines for expectant and nursing mothers and for children under five. Viscount Bledisloe said that if there were two countries flowing—even overflowing—with milk they were Great Britain and New Zealand, and yet of all civilised countries they consumed the smallest quantity of milk per head of the population. He asked if there was not a danger, in considering the question of malnutrition, of putting too much emphasis on the insufficiency of essentia! foods and not enough on the impropriety or unsuitability of the diet of a largo section of the population. New Zealand Investigations The average British farmer knew more about how to feed his farm animals than the average British mother knew how to feed herself and her children, said Lord Bledisloe. Let the question be tackled at once in the schools, so that children of all classes would know of what their food consisted and what was a well-balanced ration. He wondered whether among the so-called welleducated classes there was a very widespread knowledge of food values and of how the children should be fed. Much was heard about the expenditure of public money in this connection. Where did true economy really lie? What was the use of spending large sums of money on education if they did not ensure the educability of the children? How many people in hospitals and infirmaries on which public money was spent were there because of malnutrition in earlier years? When he was Governor-General of New Zealand he made an investigation and found that about 35 per cent of the patients in such institutions were there through malnutrition in childhood. Deterrent to Campaign Nothing had proved such a deterrent to the campaign in favour of drinking more milk than the idea which was prevalent that there was poison in the milk. A far higher amount of weakness was engendered in children as a result of insufficient milk than as the result of a few tuberculous germs in the milk itself. Viscount Gage, replying on behalf of the Government, said the House might be assured of the value of existing schemes. The Government believed there would be great value in any extension of the policy of encouraging the consumption of milk, which might be found practicable. The Ministers of Health and Agriculture had been examining the possibility for some time, but it would be premature to introduce any new scheme for the provision of milk until the Reorganisation Commission's report had been received and decisions