WOMEN AND BABY WELFARE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12176, 27 November 1917, Page 7

WOMEN AND BABY WELFARE.

THE RAOHEL M'MILLAN CAMP AT DEPTFORD. [Feom Our Correspondent, j LONDON, October 2. In spite of air raids we still carry on and women are going about! their war work without the slightest signs of nervousness. I happened to be in the Tube at the height of one of the raids, and as we were somewhatcrowded, I couldn't help hearing parts of differentl conversations. We are all delightfully informal in the Tube on these occasions—for the time being the English reserve, really a form of shyness, it people only knew it, seems to disappear, and we actually talk to strangers without waiting for introductions. Well, this is what I- heard between two well-dressed women. " Talking about children, Lady " (I just missed the name, so provoking wasn't it?) "told m e that if you want to know anything about babies and how to rear them, just find a New Zealand girl and she'll tell you. What those girls don't know about children isn't worth knowing. Ive lived in New Zealand, so I've.seen it! myself." Nice, wasn't it r* And I assure you that this story is absolutely time. So evidently, the fame of the New Zealand girl is rapidly spreading abroad. And as a matter of fact, I never go to any of the numerous Mothercraft Schools that are springing up everywhere, without someone saying, '' What we must do is to get a woman speaker who has lived in New Zealand. She is the one to show us the ropes. I believe babies never die in New Zealand, as so much care is taken of them.'' Perhaps a bit exaggerated, buti it only shows what an enviable reputation New Zealand women have—and they have earned it, too. So I am sure you will be interested to hear of a splendid work that is being carried on here to help to rear the rising generation of the working class. T expect everyone knows of Miss Margaret M'Millfin, whose educational work for many years has been of such value, that it has been recognised at last, and the honour of Commander of the British Empire was awarded to her lasti month. For a, number of years Miss M'Millan and her sister have carried on the Deptford Clinic as well as an open-air school. Unhappily Miss Rachel M'Millan, a great and much beloved woman, who_ has given her whole life to the service of others, was smitten with illness and passed away last March. In memory of this cherished sister. Miss Margaret M'Millan has built a Baby Camp in Deptford on totaljy new lines, and the work is to be carried out on the plans laid down by her sister-

I was invited to go down and see this camp. In the midst of the drab surroundings of the district stands a charming one-storied bungalow, beautifully planned and faced by a delightful garden full of flowers, so that the children will bo familia.r with growing things from their babyhood. Practically it iwS an open-air nursery, where the working women of the neighbourhood bring their children in the morning and take them home at night. The centre apartment has a bas relief portrait of Miss Rachel M'Millan, bearing above it. her favourite motto, taken from King Alfred—" I desire to live worthily all my days, that after my death I may leave to others a record £" work well done"

About seventy children are brought to the Baby Camp every day. and the mothers pay 2s a week, though widows give even less. Nearly all the women are munition workers and are earning good wages. The children sleep in the garden on fine days, and in chillier weather all their cots are arranged in the toddlers' room, which has one side open to the fresh air. The cots are. of the. most practical kind- The bed is simply a framework of wood that folds up and can be put away in the lockers that are arranged round the room, so that everything looks ship-shape and tidy. A piece of sailcloth is then buttoned on, and as it is washable, you will see what a. comfortable and hygienic, baby's cot; this makes. When Mr Fisher, the Minister of Education, opened this Baby Camp, he recalled a saying: ''Great things have often been done in small rooms." He asked if anything of more value in a neighbourhood like Deptford could be erected than this Baby Camp, which would be a perpetual standing memorial of the benefits of a healthy open life, of early training, of wise expenditure, of discerning sympathy and of great charitable endeavour?

Miss M'Millan is training the children on her own lines of education. Some, of vou may have read her last book, ''The Camp School," which sets forth the record of her struggle against the disabilities that come to children in poverty and make the best teaching difficult.

But if I nm to judce by the happy and bright faces of all the children 1 i<aw playing in the garden. I should say that Miss M'Millan has found the way to bring health .ind joy to every little cue that is lucky enough to receive its education at the campPets, in the shape of Belgian hares and other harmless animals, are encouraged, and the children are taught how t,i attend to them. They are encouraged to 'use their imagination and to make their own toys. Miss M'Millan is a great believer in initiative, and not in copying, and it is on these lines that all the education is given.

I was there, the boys were- all busy hpiping to make tlip "dug-out'* ready for the next nir raid, and seerned to be thoroughly enjoying: the work. The ''dug-out - ' is really and underground eellai, supposed to be used for smuggling ir. olden times, and it has row been excavated, and prepared for the children hi case of air raids. The night before, seventy children had been brought down there and had peacefully slept on tho mattresses all through the sound of the gun-fire nnd bombs. The elder boys scorned any notion of being afraid, and my own belief was that they enjoyed the excitement. Any way it. wis cheering to think that here was a safe dugout for the children nnd mothers of the neighbourhood, and that the children were all so fearless, even amidst the firing of guns and the dropping of bombs It is Miss M'Millan's ideal to bring up these children to become educated citizens who will he a glory to the Empire wherever their lot is cast. Many of them will probably leave the Mother Country in later life, and if they are fortunate enough to settle in New Zealand they will bring the best traditions of English education, and v. ill be a lasting power for good. Already the children are taught the value of .restraint and silfnee—those great British qualities that tell at a time like this. In this Baby Camp, lessons are given almost in the shape of games. For example, to •understand the true meaning of words, s, number of coloured slips printer] with •different words are given to the children. ' -Each child reads the word she o," he has chosen. Imagine it to be ■'' door." Tiie child runs to the door, touches it and then returns. No words are spoken, as the doing of the action in silence giver a discipline the children Understand, and in this way, the mind and muscles of each child are tried wl.cn they, move to explain the meaning, of the word.

I know that nil New Zealand '"women will approci?te. the: splrndkl work done at this Baby Camp, and I hope they will visit it on, their stay over' here. The matron wondered if I knew of any girls who would knit the babies some warm vests with sleeves, so that thay could be worn as little coatees, or any form of warm.garment would be welcome, as the cola weather is coming on and the little ones will still be kept in the fresh air as much asS possible- So I,throw this out .is a hint to our busy .knitters, and after all these children halonc to our fighting men, so in that

sense the knitting is being done for soldiers. I saw a very charming bit of courtesy this week, in which the chief part was played by one of our New Zealand boys who was waiting at Charing Cross for bis 'bus. I daresav you kno»v of the terrible, congestion of traffic at this favourite spot, and the fights that take place to get a seat in the motor-'buyes. Women fight almost better than men at. these times, and there is a regular scramble, in which the weakest, often goes to the wall unless protected by a. stronger arm. "Well, there was a poorly dressed old man, well on into the seventies, who was vainly trying to get a seat in a 'bus. He was swept aside time after time by the so-called ''weaker" sex, who are more thoughtless than deliberately unkind, and who are mostly warworkers «anxious to get home from their work.. '" Th<* old man began to look forlorn and hopeless, when all of a a'udden, up comes a New Zealand boj. takes' the old man. by the arm/and literally lifts binv into the. 'bug. .He then asks the conductor-to Look after- him.-'and. to put him down at-his destination. "Good-bye, dad." he then called out. " you're all right now." The old man thanked him very gratefully, and on the 'bus conductor asking him if the soldier was a relation, said: " Is T o, I've never seen him before only he was sorry for. me and helped me." Now. wasn't that a fine piece of j courtesy? 1 know the story is true, I because T was in that verv 'bus myself I