OUR BABIES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 4012, 19 August 1915, Page 3

OUR BABIES.

, BRITISH^BABIES' Some months ago, in this column, attention was drawn to the greatlyincreased interest in baby welfare manifested throughput England as a result of the great war. _ We have just received a letter bearing on the subject from Mr Benjamin Broadbont, who did so much for' 1 the babies of Huddersfield when he was Mayor ol that city many years ago, and who has been closely identified ever since with all movements at Home for the benefit of mother and child. Tlio following extract from the letter will bo of interest to our readers, as also a letter written by Mr Broadbent to the London “Times,” which we transcribe in full. -EXTRACT FROM MR BROADBENT’S .letter.

1 am thankful to say that there is at present a reawakening both ot the public and of the Government in regard to infant welfare. There is a prospect of rather important legislative action, and tlio newspapers, even in this cruel time, are taking up the subject. The “Times’ has had several looters and one very good leader, and to-day it has put in a letter of my own. lam sending you a copy. , , , , . I have just received the ElunkctMagazine, and I find it exceedingly interesting. THE NEXT GENERATION. MR. BROADI>ENT'S LE/I’TE'R TO THE LONDON “TIMES.” Sir, —It is satisfactory to note that, even amid the present crisis, there is renewed attention being paid to the value of infant life. Tho question of Lord Robert Cecil on May 18, with Mr Samuel’s reply, showed that the. movement in favor of the welfare of infancy is .still alive, 'file reply of Mr Long lb the deputation from Iho Women’s Cooperative Guild on the 7th of this month indicates clearly that the new President of the Local Government Board maintains the interest shown by bis immediate predecessor and the one ho succeeded. Your

own article of June 9 on “Tlu: Next Generation” will still further extend and emphasise uie importance of. questions relating to infant life and health. As one of those who have labored long and for the most part silently in this cause. I would say that we welcome all ' these manifestations with great hope. It would seem that the time is at last ripe for further legislative advance, and the linns laid down in your article commend themselves —if I may say so to my own individual judgment as in accordance with the objects we. have worked to forward. The one condition for tlio introduction of a Bill is that it shall be regarded as an unopposed measure; if that can bo secured tlio President of the Local Government Board will himself introduce the Bill. 1 take it that this condition hardly means that there is to be no criticism or

that all suggestions are to bo ruled out. So far as I can see, the proposed Bill is to bo brought forward as a Bill amending the Notification of Births Act of 1907. _ i his Act was itself a non-party Bill, and was supported by all sections of the House of Commons. The amending Bill should follow the precedent already set. WHAT AUGHT HAVE BEEN. At such a time as this it seems almost inconceivable -that- there should bo opposition to a measure whose sole purpose is to strengthen, and extend the usefulness of work which lias been the means of saving at least 1000 lives per week during several years past. It is no exaggeration to say that if this could be put into full operation throughout Great Britain and Ireland the saving of life would be increased by a further 500 per week. These lives, so capable of being saved, would do something towards filling up the terrible gaps made week by week in this destructive war. Consider for a moment what- would hav© been the effect on conditions to-day if the present efforts to-save infant life had been put into operation 30 years earlier. There would to-day have been more than half a million additional men between 20 and *lO years of age available for the field or for the workshop: those of that age who are serving their country would have been, stronger and more stalwart; whilst the iucapables would have been far less numerous. Men and women are a crop of slow growth; it takes 20 winters and 20 summers to bring them to maturity. Sorely does this country of ours miss those men and women whom we might have had ; sorelv will it need the babies of to-day to make the men and women of the Next Generation, and cruel will be the wrong to the future if we wittingly allow one of these little ones _to X>erish. This surely is the very time of times to make us value lite when it is being poured out in sacrificial Hoods by every country of Europe, and we should remember that it is tho highest-type of human life that is flowing forth liko water through a riven embankment —all this precious •stream of vital force spetnt, ana henceforth lost to us. The elders amongst us recall the very beginnings of these lives that hero have their premature ending; it -seems hut a very short time ago that they were helpless in infancy, and all the glory of their manhood hung on that slender thread. Who grudges now the ceaseless care that watched and kept them safe, though it has proved to be only for this brief brightness of their shortened days? Should not the tragedy of those lives cut off make us value more than ever all human life? Should it not make us eager to safeguard life at its source? What was onco called a “devastating torrent ot babies” seems rather different today; in truth it was a river of life, no devastating torrent; the men that fight and die in Franco and Flanders were the drops that made the stream. These, alas! we cannot bring back; but we can care for the new life that still conies, and surely we ought at this time to give greater care than ever to retain tins rich and sacred dower of life. It is therefore truly timely that there should be renewed effort to preserve infant life and health. The measures asked for in your article are simple. They start from a basis already proved to be sound. It would be presumptuous in mo to attempt to go into details. I would only add this: If it should be at all practicable there should _bo notification —not neeessariy registration —of stillbirths as well as of living -infants. Tho Notification of Births Act lias put into our hands -tho koy to all measures for the preservation of live-horn infants; the notification ' of stillbirths would probably give us tho key to all measures necessary for dealing with the prenatal conditions which wo now know to he almost as destructive to life as are the perils of infancy. The opportunity is great. May _it be the happy task of the President of the Local Government Board to make full use of it for the present and future welfare "of tho next generation.—Yours truly, BENJAMIN BROADBENT, A Vice-Chairman of tj ie National Association lor the Prevention of Infant Mortality. Gatesgarth, Huddersfield, JuneJLo.

Wo aro most anxious that our members should fully realise the great and Imperial nature of. the ; work to which they have put their hands, ana we trust that a study of Mr Broadbent’s letter will cause them to take an added inters! in “helping the mothers and saving the .babies. We therefore ma.ke no apology t ,r putting off the continuation of ; <mr article on Food until next week.