Council declines S.O.S. appeal

Press, 12 April 1978, Page 6

Council declines S.O.S. appeal

Giving aid to the Sisters Overseas Service would be “using ratepayers’ money to circumvent the country’s law” on abortion, said a Christchurch city councillor yesterday. The policy and finance committee said that an S.O.S. application for $5OO should be declined.

Cr Mollie Clark sgid the organisation had admitted it was getting round New Zealand law by sending women to Sydney for abortions. She and Cr Newton Dodge said they had received “quite a few” telephone calls and letters from city residents in opposition to the application for a grant. Although Cr D. F. Caygill did not agree with the interpretation that S.O.S. was

circumventing the law, hs said the organisation’s financial report to March 31 showed it was not "sorely in need of funds.” But the financial predictions to June 30 were not so encouraging, he said, and S.O.S. should be told to reapply, with other organisations, during the budget process next month. Cr D. J. Rowlands said he was aware of the reluctance of councillors to put themselves on one side of an issue when public opinion was divided. However, the council had supported Pregnancy Help with a grant Lst year. He asked if the council could adopt a non-partisan approach by helping both organisations “so that we would not alienate either side of public opinion.”