FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES

Otago Witness, Issue 3414, 20 August 1919, Page 5

FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES

BIG BURDEN ON "WORKERS. FREE MATERNITY HOMES URGED. AUCKLAND, August 13. " It is almost madness for a working man to have children," said Mr Wilson, a member of the Farmers' Union, at to-day's meeting of the Provincial Executive. Ho went on to say that the union should do everything in its power to bring about conditions that would enable young people, to marry and have children without incurring overwhelming expenses. He suggested that the State should see to it that free medical attention was provided at child-birth, and should continue to tako an interest in. a child's welfare after birth. The matter arose as the result of a letter from a member of the union pointing oulS that at present the. costs of child-birth in an average working man's family amounted to about £ls. This, the- writer urged, was altogether unreasonable. Ho stated that this state of affairs was making* abominable practices for the prevention of child-birth common in New Zealand, and the birth rate was very seriously threatened. Mr Hunter, another member, said it seemed to him thai people who ought to have children did not, and those who ought not to did have them. Apparently the people best able to afford to have children wero the last to bring them into the world, while struggling working people seemed to bo supplying the popular tion. The executive passed a resolution that ths Government be . urged to establish frei maternity homes in town and oountry. ENCOURAGEMENT OF PARENTHOOD. EFFORT BY HEALTH DEPARTMENT. WELLINGTON, August 14. Referring to a message from Auckland regarding the heavy expenses attending childbirth, the Hon. Mr Russell said he realised that the problem of the decline in the birth rate was to a large extent an economic one. In order to encourage parenthood, the Public Health Department had been making the fullest uso of tho funds at its disposal. There were now six St. Helens' Homes in the dominion, and tho hospital boards were being encouraged tp establish homes and run theso on the same lines as St. Helena homes. The department was sending out into the backblocks district nurses who had a training* in midwifery, and it was hoped that gradually the entire dominion would be covered by nurses appointed under this scheme. Ho claimed that while there was much yet to bo done, a real effort waa being made by the department to meet the necessities of the situation. "He added that tho only way to meet them, in his opinion, was. a steady and rapid extension of tho nursing system to the outer districts of the country; for experience had shown";that the number of cases in which a medical practitioner'was required, in addition to a trained midwife, was exceedingly small.