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ADMINISTRATIVE SECTION 



and improvement. Then the excuse that some other 

 person or persons may be the child's father is robbed 

 of its efficiency as a defence in as much as the other 

 man, or men, are required to testify that they are 

 possibly the father before the statement has any 

 weight, and by so doing they render themselves 



O J O J 



jointly and severally liable to contribute towards 

 all expenses without exonerating the man charged. 

 There is also power to take action before the birth of 

 the child, and to secure beforehand the confinement 

 expenses, and an order for maintenance. These 

 powers are exercised by this Department gratis on 

 the application of any poor person, who through 

 poverty or ignorance may be unable to themselves 

 appeal to the law. These provisions are found of 

 great assistance in the way of preventing the neglect, 

 consequent disease, and death of infants. 



All these things, however, fail to touch the real 

 fundamental cause of the difficulty. What should 

 really be aimed at is not only the cure of diseased 

 infants, the saving of weaklings to grow up feeble and 

 ailing, to be weak-minded, to be morally weak, to be 

 all their lives a burden to their fellow creatures, but 

 to secure for our nation a stream of healthy well- 

 nurtured (before as well as after birth), beloved and 

 valued infants who will grow up to become stalwart 

 men and bonny women, long lived, robust in body 

 and mind, virtuous, clean living, vigorous and patriotic. 

 We want to do away with the kind of infant who is 

 lowering the vitality of our community and making us 

 nationally weak ; and breed the kind who will make 

 our nation strong, brave, self-reliant, clear-headed, 

 kind-hearted, patient, and (shall it be said?) "God 

 like." To save infants of any kind at any cost may 

 be politic, although there is much room for doubt, but 

 to have infants who are worth saving is quite another 

 matter, and one about which there can be no doubt. 

 Can this be achieved? Not without effort; and 



