VOLUNTARY SERVICE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23338, 5 May 1939, Page 3

VOLUNTARY SERVICE

TRAINING OF WOMEN —— NUTRITION AND RATIONING THIRD LECTURE OF SERIES The third of a series of lectures to be used as a foundation for the training courses organised by the Air J?aid Precautions Women's Auxiliary took place in the Y.W.C.A. hall last niglit. Miss Elsie Bennet presided, and the three speakers on the subject of "Sustenance and Rationing" were Dr. Violet Hastings, Captain James H. Nursey, of Canada, and Mr. G. Blewitt. Speaking on the importance of nutrition in the event of food rationing, Dr. Hastings dealt with the values of various staple foods, and cited instances in which certain fighting forces during the Great War had suffered from such diseases as scurvy and beri beri owing to lack of nutriment in the food they were given. She stressed the need for building up the health of the people before any emergency should cause food rationing, so that in the event of such emergency the health of the peoplo would not be permanently impaired. The pi;obable method of rationing in New Zealand, if the Dominion were ever attacked by any raiding force, and the method by which food would be transported to the people in the case of evacuation, was outlined by Mr. Blewitt. An address on similar lines was given by Captain Nursey, who suggested that four main bases in the Dominion would have to be selected and supplied with foodstuffs ample to supply the population in and around each particular base. A list of rations, which would be required for 150 men, was read by the speaker to give an idea of what might be required should the situation arise. Miss Bennet announced that the metropolitan fire brigade had agreed to train 12 members of the auxiliary in dealing with emergency fire-figliting equipment, and this training would commence next week. Training in running repairs on motor-cars would also commence shortly, while classes in first-aid were already being, conducted for auxiliary members.