THE HON. G. FOWLDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14184, 9 April 1908, Page 4

THE HON. G. FOWLDS

YESTERDAY'S ROUND OF VISITS.

THE ICARITANF HOME,

In. his dual capacity as Minister of Education and of Public Health,\ the Hon. G. Fowlds spent another strenuous! davyesterday, when he visitqd the Otago-Um-versity Dental, School, the Albany Street Kindergarten, tho Cavereham Industrial School, tho Karitane Homo for Infants at Anderson's, Bay, the : Orphanage of St. Vincent de Paul, and the Taieri and Peninsula Milk Supply Company's factory. . , On his' ,visit to. the'; Dental School the Ministei was accompanied by Mr«V. K. Sidey, -M.P., wfio has 'taken such a prominent part in tho founding of that institution. On arrival, tho- party wore met' by the Vice-chancellor of the University (Mr James Allen, M.P.), the director of the school (Dr 11. Percy Pickcrill, Messrs T. -A Hunter, and F. Armstrong. The necessity for further equipment being provided was urged upon the Minister, in order tliat. the school might be placed ona similar footing to that of institutions elsewhere The amount required was stated at from £1500 to £2000, which includes tho cost of providing an extr? room for use as a pathological laboratory. Mr Fowlds, in reply, said ho would go into the matter carefully, and tliat ho would notify them later as to what the Government would be able to do.

At the kindergarten the Minister, wjlli Messrs .Tames Allen, M.P., and T.. K, Sidey, M.P., was met'by Mrs Ulrieh, Mrs Der.niston, and other committee members. Mr M, Cohen represented the Advisory Committee. Mr' Fowlds expressed satisfaction with the physical exercises, singing, and with the appearanco ot the children. Ho fully " recognised the valuable ,work being done by the Kindergarten Association. Mrs Fowlds was presented .with bouquets by two of the pupils'. On boing shown over the Industrial "School tho Minister said he was glad to see how neat tho children were. The school was trim, clean, and. comfortable: Ho advised tho children to do their utmost to lay hold of their opportunities to obtain knowledge which would be of 6crvico to themselves and their country 111 after life. In the afternoon Drs Truby King and Williams, with Mesdames Carew and Joachim, awaited the arrival ot tho Minister, • Mrs Fowlds, and Mr J. F. Arnold, M.P., at tho Karitane Infants' Home. Sheltered from wind and rain 12 infantile inmatQS were cradled beneath tho verandah, looking immensely pleased with themselves and the world so recently entered. Tho cradles were ticketed with the names of. the occupants, and one label bore the legend "Stormy." It was explained that this was not a reflection on the child's temper or temperament, but that tho baby had been brought thither on a stormy night. Certainly lying there, rosy with health, ho looked the reyerse of tempestuous, The babies aro of varying physique, and are weighed twice a week. One of them was until lately in a moribund condition, and o» arrival seemed almost dead. The treatment has, however, worked wonders. The weight gained in" ounces by tho respective infants last, week was: 5, 4£,'3, 7J, 2J, B£, iOi 11, 5, 7jr, 7, and 2i, which works out at an average of over 6oz gained per child. The Minister of Education, being possessed of a good deal more than his. fair share of what is called knowledge of the world, no doubt'realised to tho full the value of such an institution as the Karitane Home in saving lives to the country. The stories of tie ignorance of some ol the young mothers are apafling. Now, however, Sister Alice visits certain dwellings, and teaches mothers bow to drew and otherwise, care for their children. There is no doubt that many babies open -their ever but to close them again for ever. The Karitane Home

has snatched a number of these little ones out of tho very jaws of death, and the infants who are there begin thr battle of life under favourable auspices. , Mrs Gordon (matron) and Fleury, Fitzgibbon, Davies, Motion, and Beare,, comprise tho staff, and a glance at, their quarters may prove interesting. They are housed in the stable, which has been cleansed and painted. It is quaint t<Psee a bed and a dressing table in each of the stalls, while the harness room is also fitted up as a, bedroom, The loft has been converted into a dormitory, and is reached by steps from, outside. The effect is noyei, and not unpleasing, from a spectacular standpoint.

At the St. Vincent de Paul Orphanage the party was met by the, Kev. Father Coffey and tho Hon. J. B. Callan. Mi l'owlds, in addressing the girls, said how glad he was to see them looking so well and happy. He hoped they would continue to be as good as they were''good looking. He trusted they would show their appreciation of tho efforts to make them well and happy by always striving to do the right thing, and by growing up a credit to New Zealand. If they did that their country would be proud of them. A holiday on a wet day, or a holiday on an ordinary school holiday would not be a iair thing, but he bad gained permission for thom to have a holiday on the first fine day that was not a school holiday. A cherubic little girl was brought forward to be introduced to tho Minister, but overcome by the honour, fled for shelter to the robe of one of tho good sisters. Tho dormitories wero abiding places for cleanliness, light, and fresh air. and. the infirmary was untenanted. Mr Malcolm Stevenson, chairman of tho Charitable Aid Board, and Mr .T. J. Marlow were among those present. The factory of the Taieri and Peninsula Milk Supply Company was tho next point of call, and hero tho visitors wero shown by Dr l'ruby King how to lmmaniso milk. That gentleman gave a learned, but most interesting, lecturette upon humanised milk, explaining how a law of nature governed tho flesh-producing elements of tho lacteal fluids of tho human and tho cow. By running off the whey he showed them 1 tho handful of hard white pulp that was so bad,'for young ; ohildren imbibing, cow's milk untreated. This substance was intended by Jiaturo to prepare the' digestive organs of an animal to assimilate hay or grass. The'humanised milk department having' been inspected, the visitors were courteously shown other parts of interest in the factory by Mr Walter Riddell, '