VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

Taranaki Daily News, 20 July 1935, Page 9

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

VIEWS ON CURRENT TOPICS MALNUTRITION OF CHILDREN. . EVIDENCE OF UNDER-FEEDING. (To the Editor.) Sir,—On July 19 you published an article raider the heading of “Malnutrition of Children.” It states that in the two largest cities of the Dominion this question is receiving much publicity. If you will look back over past issues of your paper you will find that complaints have been lodged - from practically all over New Zealand, particularly during the term of the Government’s four-year plan, which, thank God, is due to expire before the end of this year. The article states that sweeping statements have been made that during the depression women and children have been starving in a land that has an overabundance of food supplies, but that these extreme statements have not been supported by definite evidence. You use the wrong term when you mention de- , pression, because there is no real depression in any part of the world; The cause of the trouble is as Professor G. Lawn once said: “Millions are starving, not because the world is poor, but because it is rich. The goods are here, the people who need them are here, but the .money needed to buy them is not actively'•in use.” These extreme statements, as you term them, have been well supported by definite evidence, and within the past few I have read of many complaints regarding this subject. The Canterbury Education Board reported that 21 per cent of the children are under-clad and 8 per cent, underfed. In the same'paper as I read the above statement I read that Canterbury lamb is losing its -place as the finest lamb proejuced to' New Zealand. No wonder! People who cannot feed and clothe their children to 100 per cent, of efficiency , cannot be expected to produce first grade lambs. s ' In your issue of July 18 you publish a report from Wellington regarding “Inquiry at Schools.” It,states that in 21' ■schools 1030 children were suffering from malnutrition and 394 of them had. insufficient clothing. In the same issue you publish an article under the heading of “Only B Grade People,” which article gives ample “definite evidence” that something is wrong with our rearing of children. • ; ♦ Dr. Gunson stated that the elimination of a high proportion of the community’s ill-health arid disease was purely a problem of social and economic organisation. In other words I take it that he considers a change - in our methods would remedy matters. I consider that a complete change of Government would as- ' sist very considerably to remedy matters. Dr. Gunson also stated that ■ milk was the child’s natural food. Well, we, all kqow that, or should know it; yet' we r have Sir Francis Frazer, chairman of. the Executive Commission of Agriculture, touring the country and stating that he did not consider there could be any steps taken just at present in regard to the withdrawal of all uairy cows suffer- I ing from tuberculosis! Good on Sir Francis! He would permit feeding already underfed children on milk procured from diseased cows. He says the percentage of cows suffering from the disease is very small, but any experienced stockman will not agree > with him on that point. I wish "to advise Sir Francis Frazer that he ought to arrange to have a regulation brought forward whereby all New Zealand dairy produce should bear a label, “This produce contains a certain percentage of milk procured from cows-suffering from tuberculosis.” ■ Now, sir, if you want any more’definite evidence regarding this subject I can give you many pages of it by looking up newspapers of the past four years. Not only children have been underclothdd and underfed during the “fouryear plan,” but thousands of men and women have been in the same state and si ill are, the only improvement being a few concessions from the Government serit out as electioneering propaganda.— I am, etc., J. SCOTT. New Plymouth, July 19. - '