WORK PRAISED.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20238, 23 February 1934, Page 8

WORK PRAISED.

Plunket Society Has Fulfilled Great Purpose. MINISTER’S COMMENTS. (Special to the " Star.”) DUNEDIN, February 23. The Minister of Health, the Hon J. A. Young, in speaking at the Plunket’ Society Conference, said that the society had fulfilled a great purpose. The reduction of the number of infantile deaths in the first year of life from 88 per 1000 live births to 32 per 1000 was a great tribute to its work. Two-thirds of the funds of the society were obtained by voluntary contributions, and the other third came from Government subsidies. The sum voted by Parliament was, roughly, about £20,000 a year, and, in certain special circumstances, it had gone as high as £25,000 in one year. Attempts had been made to have the amount of the Government subsidy reduced, but he had strenuously opposed that in Parliament, and Parliament did not interfere with the subsidy. “ For the sake of the society, for the good work it is doing, for the welfare of mothers and the babies, I dread lest any ill-considered action arising out of this conference shall destroy that good work,” continued Mr Young. “If such an unfortunate thing should happen, I can say that the work will be carried on by other agencies. No Government could afford to allow the excellent reputation and position of New Zealand to suffer in consequence of any disputes within the society itself. The amount of £20,000 would go a long way in the hands of such agencies as the Health Department and the Hospital Boards. As a member of the Advisory Board to the Council, and having over seventeen years’ active association with the work of the Plunket Society, and as one possessing an intimate knowledge of the facts leading up to the calling of this conference, I desire to declare m\* utmost confidence in the council of the society. I am sure that when the action of the council, and the facts leading up to the calling of this conference are fully understood, no unbiased person, imbued with a due sense of how the business affairs of a corporate body should be conducted will fail to admit that the council could not act in any other way than it did. The action of the council centres on the recognition of the fundamental principle in good government of all associations that the servants of the organisation shall adapt themselves to the responsible executive entrusted with the government of the society for the time being. To expect the executive of a corporate body to adapt itself to the dictates of its paid officers is unthinkable, and would inevitably lead to chaos.”