CHILD ADOPTION

Evening Star, Issue 19186, 1 March 1926, Page 5

CHILD ADOPTION

A FORWARD MOVEMENT

Pres* Association—By Telegraph—Copyright

LONDON, February 27. The systems of adoption prevailing in the dominions and India were referred to in the House of Commons during the discussion of a private member s Hill dealing with the adoption of children, which was read a second time. The Hill, which was introduced by air J. F. W. Galbraith (Com), is designed to legalise the adoption oi children in Britain provided each adoption is sanctioned by the High Court or the Police Court. It provides that a child cannot bo adopted by a person loss than twenty-one years older than the in) ant or by one of two spouses without the other, or by a person not domiciled in Britain. , , . , Mr Galbraith, in moving the second reading, declared: “We are behind the Continental countries, America, and tho dominions in this matter. Ibo Bill would, he said, abolish the secrecy now practised by adoption societies in regard to the whereabouts of a child, in view of the possibility of the parents reclaiming children. Sir W. Joynsou-Hicks (Homo Secretary), in whole-heartedly supporting the Bill, said that the legal systems or adoption were working admirably in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, particularly in Now Zealand, concerning which Sir Joynsou-Hicks quoted , a statement made by the senior magistrate of the eitv of Wellington (Mr W. G. Riddell) that the New Zealand system of adoption was in every way successful.—Reuter.