ABORTION EVIL

Grey River Argus, 30 May 1938, Page 9

ABORTION EVIL

COMMISSION’S RECOMMENDATIONS

(Per Press Association.] WELLINGTON, May 27.

A number of recommendations will be made to- Parliament by the Dominion conference on the problem of criminal abort’on, which me: at Wellington to-day. Tl.j reeo’mnendat'ons cover such matters as the sex <-di cation of children and paienls, family spacing, concessions to parents in respect of children, contraceptives and abortifacients, the law on abortion and domestic assistance for mothers.

After the publication of the McMillan Report on the incidence of criminal abortion in New Zealand, the Bishop of Wellington (Rt. Rev H. St. Barbe Holland) called together a.citizens' committee, which in March made a statement on the problem. The conference was convened afterwards by the Bishop, Professor J. B. Dawson, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Otago, Mrs J. D. Mackay (Christchurch, and Dr. Hilda Northcroft (Auckland).

At the opening of the conference Professor Dawson expressed sympathy with Bishop Holland, ?who was absent because of an injury received recently in a motor accident. There were present about 60 persons from many parts of the Dominion, representing almost every social organisation, profession and church. Some represented local committees that had already considered the agenda of the conference. About 40 items based on the statement of the Wellington Citizens’ Committee were discussed. The decisions in general endorse that statement.

To continue and extend the work ol the conference the Dominion Association for Social Hygiene will be created.

It was decided that recommendations should be forwarded to Parliament, as the conference considered the subject should not. be made a party issue.