Legislation Of Abortion Urged

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31863, 16 December 1968, Page 2

Legislation Of Abortion Urged

In a hungry world in which advances in technology had made no contribution to the living standards of two-thirds of the world’s population, the main issue was now between contraception and abortion, said the president of the Family Planning Association (Dr Alice Bush).

“It is interesting to ponder on the racial, cultural and economic differences involved between East and West, relevant to the fall in the birth rate in Western Europe brought about by parents themselves, indeed mainly by fathers, and the continuing high birth rate

in the East. The most effective measure of population control so far is the Japanese legislation allowing doctors to perform abortions in the interest of the welfare of the family," said Dr Bush, writing in the latest issue of the association’s magazine, “Choice.” Now that the question of abortion had been given prominence again by the change in English law (which legalises it in certain circumstances), New Zealand should take another look at the MacMillan report and give further consideration to implementing it, she said. “Time is short and the matter urgent The only effective motivation of parents toward effective population control is full understanding of the needs of children," said Dr Bush.