HEALTHY RACE

Opunake Times, 10 May 1938, Page 2

HEALTHY RACE

NEW ZEALAND’S NEED

A NATIONAL ENTERPRISE j

i , 11 ' ve I canno -t have quantity, us. at least have, quality in urn; hahies,’’ declared Mr. C. A A\ ilkiusou M.P., on Thursday! JVfp’, t l le Q a,l . llu al mating of 1 iUn r* S X °T ty ’ he referred f° th %7 alue of tke Plunket ey*,. tern, i here was a ne.ed now. more urgent than ever before lor a healthy race, and in health, • Zealand, gifted with the best of conditions, should lead the world. -Ur Wilkinson said that while V Ul “ 1 Innket system was achieving wonderful things, it was necessary to take stock of the nosi hnn. The. fact that the Health o* the country, particularly in i ta younger generation, was a nav ional concern, had already been realized by the Government, and the dental clinic treatment for schoolchildren was' one. of ih« directions to which it had . apS: t ' Last w schoolchildren received dental treatment, and he was t 0 ,«<« that children oi the Opunake district would soon, . r !: U^ oyin f sam © facilities., i v in schools also- was an Imrortant part of the health campaigu among you th, and up till June of last year, thTs had been ‘ I IV 80 ’°°0 children throughout the country. It was to be hoped that the benefit of the scheme, would be made availab e to many more. The establishment of health camp*, also was being undertaken with the same object m view, * ' ’ Thus the work of the Plunket Society in the early stages of at ' : SVi] * oeng carried on as far as possible; the reduction of the r! \ ■ i oi ' mfan t mortality, for which Sir Truby King could chum the credit would assist towards the goal desired, but attention to health matters, must be continued. At. the. present the birth rate was at its low«Jt level, and the growth in population by natural means had decreased until the rate of Increase s almost stationary. This constituted a serious tiational danger, and it was essential ' that every child born, into th© country should be given every care necessary to his, future health, and that, given physical wall-be-ing he. would develop mental sti eugtli also and thus become the desrrable type of citizen v Mr. Wilkinson complimented the branch upon its sound position and the progress it had made since its. establishment. Opnnake and the sub-branch districts were singularly fortunate that there were always capable and willing people, at the head o.f affairs, and the. present position was a striking tribute to tHq efficiency and enthusiasm of these workers.

His Worship the Mayor, Mr. A. J, Brennan, also joined in congratulating the branch up 6& its steady progress. It, was. pleas-\ big to see so live a body working with success in a cause which deserved the fullest support of all, and he expressed the hop© that the movement would continue to prosper.