FAILURE TO VACCINATE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 52, 2 March 1908, Page 8

FAILURE TO VACCINATE.

"~ «! • "WOULD RATHER GO TO GAOL TEN TIMES."

An information under the Public Health Act, 1900, was read in the Magistrate's Court to-day against Wm. James Culver, iormerly of Wellington, but now an Inspector of Factories at Napier. The information charged the ■ defendant with having failed to comply with notices from ths Vaccination Inspector to have his son, Richard John Seddon Culver, 6 years and 5 months old, vaccinated. The defendant did not appear, but wrote a letter to his Worship on the subject. This letter stated that the, defendant had a conscientious objection to vaccination, and six years ago, when registering the child, he swore an affidavit stati/ig that he believed vaccination would -be prejudicial to his child's health. This the Registrar refused to accept unless it bore a half-crown stamp. Defendant declined to affix a stamp, as it was provided "that no fee shall be payable in respect of either the application or the certificate." Defendant then swore a declaration before a J.P. and posted it to the Wellington Magistrate's Court. To this he received no reply. , Defendant said he refrained from making any comment beyond stating that he would rather go to gaol ten times over v^thaa allow any one of his children (he had five unvaccinated) to risk their health by an admittedly useless, and, to his mind, iniquitous proceeding. His Worship imposed a fine of 20s, with £1 18s 6d costs. Mr. Myers appeared for the prosecution.