Child Life Preservation.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXII, Issue XXII, 28 May 1904, Page 53

Child Life Preservation.

MR SEDDON’S PROPOSALS. The Premier (the Right Hon. R. J. Seddon) recently issued a memorandum on the subject of the urgency of action for the better preservation of the lives of infants. He makes, among others, the following suggestions: — (1) That an Act should be passed under which only those holding certificates should practise mid-wifery, and that we should have registered midwives as we have registered nurses; the absolute prohibition of any but registered mid-wives should come into force in 1906, thus allowing two years for nurses to qualify and become registered. (2) That in each centre there should be a number of qualified mid-wives registered for the purpose of attending to the wives of the poor gratis, the fee fixed being paid by the State for all such attendances.

(3) The establishment of maternity homes by the State finding the necessary money’ for the erection of homes, to be kept entirely under State control, the

management thereof vesting in committees; also, that grants should be given to the Salvation Army and other bodies towards the erection and furnishing of maternity homes. ;4) Foundling hospitals should be established, the State providing the money for their erection and upkeep. The management could be handed over either to committees, trustees, or to ladies who would take a delight in performing this humane and philanthropic work.

(5) It would pay’ the State to provide nurses for the poor. The only direct return that the masses receive at present is in the direction ot free education. The largest share of the revenue is derived from them, and if the State supplied them with nurses we should not be providing more than on humane and State grounds they might fairly claim. Already- the principle is admitted by the fact that Parliament votes money as a subsidy for duly qualified medical men in sparsely settled districts. (6) The Government to arrange with the trustees of the various hopitals for them to allow a number of girls to be trained in the hospitals, the State paving for the board and lodging of these probationers. This would give those desirous of entering the nursing profession an opportunity of qualifying and becoming registered under klie Act.

(7) It would be a step in the right direction if we were to follow on the lines laid down in the United Kingdom on the provision for infant-nursing hospitals. There then could be no excuse on the part of careless parents, who should be made amenable to the law if through their neglect the lives of their children were lost or became endangered. (8) In some of the larger cities in the Old World there are homes in which a mother, leaving home for the purpose of winning bread in such avocations as charing, washing, etc., for the day or half-day, can place an infant up to, say, three years old in a home, where it is attended by’ the nurses and properly looked after until the mother returns for it. The children arc well fed during their temporary residence in these homes and they are kept warm and clean. The mother’s anxiety is relieved, and the child is probably much better eared for than if it had been kept at home. I believe that in the City of Wellington a home of this kind has been established, and on making inquiries I find that there is not near enough accommodation for the number of children that, arc proposed for entry. The cost for the upkeep of homes of this kind is infinitesimal, when compared with the anxiet.v of the mother and the number of lives saved from sickness and accident arising from neglect. (9) A law preventing the insurance of children of tender years for sums beyond that which would cover the cost of interment.

(10) It should be rendered unlawful for any’ person, whether such person is the guardian, mother, or putative father, to commute the weekly or monthly amount necessary for the maintenance of such child. This would strike at the root of the evil of baby’ farming, ami if the parties had to go before a Magistrate and the child bad to be registered under the Destitute Children Act many lives would be saved.

Mr Seddon in his concluding remarks says that the absence of a moneyed and leisured class which in older countries largely undertakes philanthropic work of this description places the burden of doing what is requisite on the State.

After going into our vital statistics in respect to this matter (he says) I have come to the conclusion that something should be done, or otherwise I should fail in iny duty to the people of this colony. It is worth mentioning that, apart altogether from the humane side of the question which I have discussed, the capital value of every adult in this colony is £3OO.