MORALITY IN NEW ZEALAND.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 28 June 1928, Page 7

MORALITY IN NEW ZEALAND.

REP LY TO A R-CILfRISELOP A VER lER. NO CAUSE FOR UNEASINESS. (By Telegraph —Press Association.) WELLINGTON, June 27. Archbishop Averill’s remarks on the morality of New Zealand were referred by the Hon. J. A. Young, Minister of Public Health, to Dr. Gray, head ot the Men tail Hospitals. Department, for comment. The latter, in a memo to- the Minister, says that lie has no exact knowledge of how New Zealand complies with, other countries in regard to divorce, prison: population, or illegimate births hut if the accuracy of his Grace’s statement with, regard to. them may be gauged by his reference to. lunacy and suicides New Zealanders may quite safely again turn their attention to but ter fat and, ,\H Blacks. It would appear that Archbishop A,verill has drawn his facts from a pamphlet issued some time ago. .by -Dr. Moore, of Dunedin, but tlhiis i® such a. jumble of misleading figures and futile erron--2,-hik deductions from; misstatements that it is difficult to know how anyone, with even moderate knowledge, of the situation co-u-ld be .so misled a-s to base upon them any authoritative message to the country, sand Dir. Gray, who then proceeded: to. quote some of Dr. Moore’s figures on lunacy and rejection tap recruitsi for the expeditionary force.; ami showed where they were wrong. He winds up bv saying that lie lias; travelled, over a large part of the globe and met many men of different races. In spite of all the Cassandra® and dismal theories, lie has no hesitation in affirming that the level of intelligence and standards of morality' in this country as- compared with others arc nof siuh as l to cause any measure of uneasiness. .