PARLIAMENT.

Grey River Argus, 10 July 1922, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

VENEREAL DISEASE. WELINGTON, July 6. Interesting reference to the prevalence and treatment of venereal disease in New Zealand was made by the Hein. Dr W. E. Collins in moving tbu Address-in-Reply in the Legislative Council. Dr Collins said that 30 years ago sufferers from venereal disease were not admitted into hospitals, but to-day more humanitarian methods prevailed. The older countries becam“ alarmed at the prevalence of the disease, and in 19.13 an International Medical Congress sat for one week to consider tho matter. The result was that efforts were made to make the diseas* notifiable and treatment compulsory A year later anther inter-Australasian conference was held at Auckland, when all the time w’as taken up in considera tion of this serious matter. The result of that conference was that West Australia decided to make the disease a. notifiable one. All the States of Australia except New South Wales fol lowed suit, and lately New South Wales had fallen into line. In the United States, 48 St: tes had the same lrgisl’»tion; so had Canada and South Afric‘l Only New Zealand lagged, and was still logging. Ne Tern ere Decree. The Hon. M. Cohen asked in the Legislative Council whether the attention of the Government had been directed to a cablegram from Sydney stating that the No Temero decree had been revived there. It had been alleged that Mr Massey had assured a reverend visitor to the Dominion that the Ne Temere decree had been made inoperative here, and this statement had been flatly con trrdicted by the Rev. Father Forrest. of Sydney. Mr Cohen also asked who

tlier the Registrar-General had reported any instances of tho priests of the Roman Catholic Church or the clergy of any other denomination offering to treat tho Marriage Act with contempt. In reply, the leader of tho Council. Sir William Fraser, stated that who* Mr Massey said ■was that the Marriage Act of 1920 was working to the satisfaction of everyone, and ho was not aware of any complaints. The Regio trrr-General had not reported to th»» Government any instances of the cler?v of any denomination offering to treat tho Marriage Act with contempt. P was, iu fact, working quite satisfactorily.