Contraceptive Move At University

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31768, 27 August 1968, Page 16

Contraceptive Move At University

The proposal by the executive of the University of Canterbury Students’ Association to install two contraceptive-vending machines in Student Union buildings would undoubtedly come under official scrutiny, said the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Professor A. Crowther) yesterday.

All financial commitments of the finance committee of the Students' Association were subject to scrutiny by the Vice-Chancellor and Registrar, he said. But the Vice-Chancellor (Professor N. C. Phillips) and the Registrar (Mr G. G. Turbott) were away at the universities’ congress in Sydney. Asked to comment as professor of psychology and sociology, Professor Crowthei said he had no views as such but, speaking personally, be saw the problem as this: if moral pressures were insufficient to curb New Zealand's reported illegitimacy rate, foi the benefit of the unfortunate offspring of such unions there should not be undue pressures to prevent access to contraceptives. Professor Crowther said that this was a vast social problem. If there was difficulty in finding sufficient suitable adoptive parents, there

would be demands for more orphanages, which were expensive and which placed the children in them at some disadvantage. Things being as they were, the country would have to face the larger problem. Professor Crowther said he was positive that university students were no worse than any other section of the community in their age group in so-called promiscuous beha viour.

“It amounts to this: is the provision of contraceptives preferable to illegitimate children or abortions?” he said.