The Waipawa Mail FRIDAY, MAY 27, 1938. PHYSICAL WELFARE

Waipawa Mail, Volume LXVI, Issue 99, 27 May 1938, Page 2

The Waipawa Mail FRIDAY, MAY 27, 1938. PHYSICAL WELFARE

'TN spite of the natural advantages

of New Zealand, compared with other countries, for the development of a healthy nation, there has been abundant evidence in the last few years that neither the general health nor the physique of the people has been all that it ought to be. It is this fact that lends special interest to the first meeting of the National Council of Physical Welfare and Recreation, established under legislation pasesd last year. As the Minister of Health (Mr Fraser) stated at the meeting, New Zealand has lagged behind other countries in respect of a national co-ordinated and organised movement in physical education. New Zealand is a great sporting country, but sport alone is not enough, nor would the establishment of a mere “National Council of Sport” be sufficient to solve the problem of physical welfare. Fortunately, it was made quite clear both by the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Parry), who sponsored the legislation, and the members of the Council who spoke that a glorification of sport is not the chief concern of the Council. The objective, stated by Mr Parry, is “a. nation of fit people, able to fill any place in society and ready for any emergency,” and the method “a physical education that will be wide and tolerant enough to include the cultural, as well as all forms of physical, recreation suitable to old and young.” In the work before the Council, as one of the members, Dr. He reus, declared, there is much leeway to be made up. The personnel of the Council is excellent, and the spirit of all enthusiastic. In the organisation of the movement there has necessarily been much discussion; and the Council has now the onerous task of translating this in effective action. It has made a promising start with the allocation bf different branches of the work to suitable sub-committees, who will deal with the organisation of the Dominion by districts, the co-opera-tion of various sports bodies, the question of general health and diet, and physical education in its technical aspects. The Council can rest assured of the support and co-opera-tion of the whole community in a work for the benefit of all.