Family Influence Seen As Safeguard Against Stress

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29179, 13 April 1960, Page 2

Family Influence Seen As Safeguard Against Stress

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, April 12.

Deploring the use of the term “illegitimate” Mrs A. H. Nordmeyer, wife of the Minister of Finance, said today in Wellington that no such stigma should be attached to any child. The word could perhaps be applied to a parent. Speaking at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Society for the Protection of Home and Family, she said -the stigma was gradually being removed. For the unmarried mother there was only the greatest sympathy and understanding. Realising there could be no perfect solution to the unmarried mother problem, one had the “forced marriage” as one answer. It might be wise in some cases for parents not to insist on that for unhappiness was often the result Perhaps it was better for a couple to decide whether they should marry after the child was bom. Under New Zealand law it could later be legitimised. Speaking of broken homes Mrs Nordmeyer said some men escaped their legal and moral obligations through the reluctance of deserted wives to seek maintenance. If a firmer line were taken by these wives a higher level of mainten-

ance would be the result.

The society could, and did, help those wives who for certain reasons were not eligible for the Social Security deserted wives pension. As a safeguard against the stresses of life, family influence was the most intense. It provided the first moral influence and was the primary school of character. Anything which organisations, such as the society could do to preserve family life was of the utmost value, she said.