PHYSICAL FITNESS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23350, 16 November 1937, Page 10

PHYSICAL FITNESS

CAMPAIGN IN AUSTRALIA BENEFICIAL RESULTS ACHIEVED COUNCIL FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH , (Special to Daily Times) AUCKLAND, Nov. 15. Realisation that the happiness of the community depends in a large measure on the physical fitness of the people has prompted the Com monwealth Government to inaugurate a physical fitness campaign, which already is showing beneficial results, said Professor Harvey Sutton, of Sydney, who arrived by the Mariposa. Professor Sutton, who is director of the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Sydney University, will visit the University of Otago in the capacity of examiner in preventive medicine. He as well qualified to speak authoritatively on the merits or physical fitness. Professor Sutton visited Auckland 37 years ago for an Australasian athletic meeting. He was a prominent half-mile and mile runner, and one of the outstanding Dominion runners competing was Harper, oi Canterbury He is intensely interested in promoting the more profitable use of leisure. Profitable Use df Leisure “ is it not possible to devise some way of spending leisure, which, while inexpensive and convenient, leaves one healthier and fitter at the finish, both in body and in mind, and leaves a better citizen and a better human being? ” he asked. Speaking of the developments in medicine in Australia, Professor Sutton said that the Commonwealth Government had set up a National Medical Research Council, which will undertake the endowment of medical research in approved subjects. Useful results are expected from the council, as a wonderful work has been achieved by a similar body in England. Great interest was being evinced in physical education in Australia, and at present a big campaign was being conducted in Victoria and New South Wales. Valuable assistance was being rendered the campaign by Dr Duras, formerly of Germany, who had been loaned to the Melbourne University by the Carnegie Corporation. . , . , Health Camps Admired “I am a great admirer of your health .camps in New Zealand,” Professor Sutton said. ‘ We have not anything quite like them in Australia, but it is a thing we might very well have in Sydney. However, there are excellent playing grounds, which are provided with suitable leaders and instructors. The Sydney City Council is catering for 1200 children in this way, and has even provided a library. It is one of the best things we have for the benefit of the children in the more congested areas. “ The war demonstrated many things,” he added. “New Zealand was the only Dominion which had the courage to publish the results of examinations for military purposes at the time of the Great War. While the results showed the position to be better here than in England, they were not so good. Much progress has been made since, and great results are expected from the campaigns for physical fitness and more healthy diet.”