CHILD WELFARE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19269, 5 September 1924, Page 7

CHILD WELFARE.

PLUIsKET SOCIETY. PROPOSED TRAINING INSTITUTION. GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY SOUGHT. (Pbb United Pbess Association.} WELLINGTON, September 4. A deputation from the Plunket Society's conference waited on the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health to ask for various grants and subsidies to assist the work of the society. , Mr J. A. Young, M.P., introduced the deputation and mentioned that the Society had prepared a scheme for dealing with the question of maternal mortality, which it was felt would be acceptable to the Minister of Health. It was very necessary that there should be co-ordination in the various aspects of child welfare work, particularly regarding the pre-natal period and immediately after the chud was born. To that end the Society-. -JW. proposing to erect an institution in which intensive and up-to date training could be given to those who desired to become maternity nurses. Mr Young said that the sum of £13,562 10s was asked in the way of subsidies for the various branches of the society’s work. A permanent building which it was desired to erect in which to give maternity nurses one month of intensive training would cost £12,000, and £6OO would be required for its equipment. Ihe maintenance of ( the institution would amount to £ISOO. It was asked that money be put on the Estimates on account of the sum of £12,000 mentioned, so that the work could be commenced immediately. Amongst the requests was a grant of £SOO for a building grant towards the Karitane Hospital (Christchurch) and a subsidy of £225 towards the salary of an assistant for the Oirector of Plunket Nursing. Mrs Johnson, of Dunedin, president ot the society, briefly stated the desire of the society to help the women of the dominion. Dr Truby King, Director of Child Welfare, said' he was satisfied that if a course of training for midwives could be carried out in the next few years it would mean the reduction of infant mortality in this country from 400 to 500 a year. The institution spoken of would play a most important part in the training of medical students, and would be of considerable value' in assisting in the training of those who were taking a domestic science course at the university. The Prime Minister spoke highly of the work of tlie society, but reminded the deputation of the passage of Scripture which he thought it was his duty to call their attention to, “Beware when all men speak well of you.’’ If that statement applied to the society whose good work was being praised, then he should say that it was in very serious danger. (Laughter.) He included Dr Truby King in those remarks, because, as a matter of fact, the doings of the Plunket Society were being trumpeted from the housetops. He did not. know how many communications he had received in the last month or two, mostly on account of money.—(Laughter.) He thought that the Plunket Society had been pretty successful with the present finance. The Minister and he presumed that that was one reason why additional money wag being asked for. On the present occasion the total amount asked for by the deputation was £32,743. He had no doubt that if the money could be found it would serve a very useful purpose. If the members of the society could be successful in the saving of life, then each’ and every one of them deserved a monument to be erected to their memory. Dr King had been ' the leader in the wort of the society right through, and he hoped that he would be so for many years to • come. Mr Massey said his difficulty was in finding the money. 1 “I have come to the conclusion that it is a very bad tiling to have a surplus.” remarked Mr Massey, amidst laughter. ‘T think it is a most unwise thing, as it has brought the whole population down on me to ask me to share that money, but it is not there—it is all gone, although the money for the current year is coming in.” With regard to the request of the deputation. that would have to be considered by Cabinet and voted on by the House. He could not, therefore, make any definite promise, but he could only say Jvat where human life was involved it must be the first consideration. He had not the slightest doubt but that the members of Cabinet and Parliament would recognise what the Society had done, and what it proposed to do, and they would do ail they possibly could for the organisation.