LARGER INCOMES FOR THE POOR

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21939, 13 November 1936, Page 16

LARGER INCOMES FOR THE POOR

SUBMISSIONS TO ENQUIRY COMMITTEE That the poorest sections of the com* munity should be paid hitter wagey and that the incomes of young person* should be sufficient to enable them Id' marry earlier in life were among lb*' submissions made yesterday by wit* nesses in giving evidence before tb* committee set up by Parliament to oa* quire into the incidence of abortion. . The committee, which sat at tb* Christchurch Public Hospital yesterday, comprises Drs. D. G. McMillaow M.P. (Dunedin), J. T. Paget (Wellington), Sylvia Chapman (Wellington*. T. F. Corkill (Wellington), and Janet Fraser (Wellington). The committee has taken evidence in the main centres' of the Dominion, and has beard witnesses representing medical viewpoints and the opinions of social sendee and women’s organisations. Its report wiß be ready for presentation before tb* end of the year. The sitting of the committee was not open to the press, but in a statement later, the chairman said that the evidence placed before the committee cheated that the incidence of abortkM||y was not only more widespread than., was generally recognised, but also left more permanent ill-health and suffering. It was obvious, said the chairman, that the many factors Operating would have to be dealt with from both the economic and medical aspects, and tbe first step in the reduction of the incl* dence was the education of the pubHe generally to the grave risk to tM| 1 health which it involved. Hie serkwHp 1 ness of this aspect could not be over- - emphasised. I The outstanding points in the J dence on the economic aspect **Kk ’J the desirability of increased incatajßjf for the poorest sections of the e*B;a munity, of young persons having '««:l| ncient income to enable them to nuuljft ’ earlier in life, of some form assistance for the single mother supports her child, and of the vision of adequate domestic assistaßMib for the mother with several children. Yh* committee returned last idsMAj:where it will caßtiwjJfe