YOUTHFUL MORALS

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 18, 16 October 1930, Page 12

YOUTHFUL MORALS

Statement Made in Book

QUESTIONS IN HOUSE

Reply by Hon. H. Atmore

Two questions were asked immediately the House of Representatives met yesterday afternoon, touching the comment made at a meeting of the Napier High School Board of Governors on references to illegitimacy by Mr. A. G. Butchers’s history of education in the Deminion. i Mr. G. C. C. Black (U., Motueka) was the first to catch the eye of Mr. Speaker, and he asked the Minister of Education, Hon. 11. Atinoi;e, if his attention had been drawn to the statements in the Press and whether he would issue a statement in reply. When Mr. R. A. Wright (Ref., Wellington Suburbs) asked an urgent question bearing on the same subject, some discussion took place as to which should take precedence. The Minister intimate*!, however, that he was prepared to answer there and then. Mr. Black said that that course was preferable to him, so Mr. Wright’s question was accepted. Mr. Wright asked the Minister: “(1) Had his attention been drawn to statements appearing on page 469 of a book published under the title of ‘Education in New Zealand,’ in which serious allegations were made concerning the morality of the young people of the Dominion? (2) If so, seeing that the book was subsidised by the Education Department, would the Minister urge the author to have the offending passages expunged and so remove an unjust reflection from the young people of the Dominion?” The Minister replied that his attention had been drawn to the statement. In fairness to the author of the book, however, he wanted to say that he had been placed in a somewhat unfair position. Mr. Butchers had undertaken to write the history of education in New Zealand when Mr. Wright was Minister of Education, and the figures he had given in his book were taken from the Official Year Book for 1928. There it was stated that: “During the five years 6560 cases of illegitimate births were registered, and if all these cases were regarded as first births (which is not the case), a total of 14,847 extra-marital conceptions is recorded, which represents 31 per cent of the total of the legitimate first births ( plus illegimnfe births.” . . “That statement.”, said the Minister, “was made in the 1928 Year Book. Similar statements have been made, I believe, by the Social Defective Committee, presided over by Mr. Triggs. The historian, in his book, simply uses the Year Book for his information.” Mr. P. Fraser (Lab., Wellington Central) : For a putrid inference: jnst for a rotten inference. The Minister: Just a moment, please. So far as the imputation is concerned I believe that the character of New Zealand girls is equal to, if not superior to, that of any girls throughout the whole world. The actual figures quoted are taken from the Year Book.” MINERS’ PHTHISIS Appeal Board Recommended The setting up of a Miners’ Phthisis Petitions Appeal Board consisting ot a radiologist, a chest specialist, and three doctors with goldfields experience, is recommended by the Goldfields and Mines Committee in a special report on miners phthisis petitions it presented to the House of Representatives yesterday. The committee stated that the petitions fell into two classes: (1) Cases where the pension applied for has been refused not because of doubt as,to whether or not the miner was suffering from the complaint within the meaning of the Act. (2) Cases where there is conflict ot medical opinion as to whether or not the applicant is actually suffering from the , complaint within the meaning of the Act. . . . . , “When considering the petitions which come within the first class, several anomalies in the existing legislation were disclosed,” continued the report. “The committee therefore recommends that a general clause should be inserted in the Finance Bill giving power to the Minister of Pensions and the Minister of Mines jointly to determine in cases where there is no conflict of evidence as to whether or not the applicant miner is suffering from pneumoconiosis or in the case of an applicant widow where her late husband was suffering from or died of miner’s phthisis, if they in their discretion so determine. “In considering petitions in the second class it was apparent to the committee that cases of conflict of medical opinion as to whether or not the applicant miner is suffering from phthisis arc not infrequent. The committee therefore recommends that a Miners’ Phthisis Petitions Appeal Board should be set up, consisting of a radiologist, a chest specialist, and three doctors who have had experience in the several goldfields of the Dominion, to consider any case where the department is in receipt of such conflict of opinion in respect of the health and condition of any applicant miner.” SUPERANNUATION FOR ALL Investigation of Scheme Considerable inquiry has already' been made into a compulsory contributory pension scheme which, on account of the costs and other matters involved, lias not reached 'a stage where practical measures can be taken. This information was given by tiie Acting-Prime Minister, Hon. E. A. Ransom, when replying to a question by Mr. W. E. Barnard (Lal).. Napier) in the House yesterday. Mr. Ransom said the proposal to submit a special report on the question of universal superannuation to Parliament next session would receive the careful consideration of the Government.

RAIL FREIGHTS ON WOOL

No Hope of Reduction

“In view of- the department's present financial position I regret that I cannot hold out any hope of a reduction in the freight on wool.” said the Minister < f Railways, Hon. IV. A. Veitch, in the House yesterday, replying to Mr. T. D. Burnett (Ref.. Temuka).