“ALMOST DEFORMED.”

Thames Star, Volume LVII, Issue 14728, 5 August 1921, Page 6

“ALMOST DEFORMED.”

NEW ZEALANDERS AND DEPORTMENT.

“I have watched the passing crowds at the busiest street corners of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. I hqve observed them, as a whole and individually, very carefully, and I could not do other than estimate Ijhat only 2 per cent, of those who passed car ried themselves properly erect. The other 98 per cent, were almost deformed. Hunched shoulders, heads poked forward, hands in pockets, feet dragging, chests seldom thrown out, a careless, stumbling stride—these are the outstanding features of the average New Zealander’s pose when on the street.” This statement was made by Mr. H. Longworth, chief physical training instructor, when addressing an assembly of school teachers in Palmerston North. Properly applied, he said, physical training and certain recognised games would do much to make the average of properly developed persons higher. It Would never do to allow this sort of thing to continue. Greater attention should be paid to all departments of physical training in the schools. Healthy, well-deported children would make a bigger, better nation.