SOCIAL HYGIENE BILL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10111, 19 October 1917, Page 2

SOCIAL HYGIENE BILL.

I A small auclienep. (about seventy people) assembled at the Empire Hall lust- evening to hear an address |iv Lady Stout ou the lion. (i. W. BussellVHvgienc Bill. i Lady Stout said the Bill, was one of the most important that had been brought be fore the New Zealand Parliament. It had been stated thai this was not a subject which women should deal with, but the speaker claimed that it concerned women more vitally than any other section of the community. Coming to the Bill, there were portions which would not lx> objected to, for instance, the clause dealing with quacks ami | remedies. They would, however, take objection to compulsory examination, which provides for a penalty of £IO,O or six months' imprisonment' This, the speaker contended, would favour the rich, as the\ ; could employ their own doctor, but it was a , terrible thing for a poor,' friendless girl. (Another objection was the establishment of ' Boards to h<vir secret, evidence, a most iniquitous thing, and the effect of it would be that no young girl would be safe from ! undergoing a compulsory examination if some unknown person made a charge against j Iter. The speaker said an objection had i been made to the organisation of these new i Boards, which was considered unnecessary, there being Hospital Boards and the Health Department, and for the criminal class there was the police. There had long been ait agitation for the appointment of police women, as was the case in Australia, and in Canada women had also been appointed Magistrates. In' Sooth Australia theie were 20 Justices of the Peace. What was wanted in New Zealand was the appointment of women police who would have power to do patrol work and Prevent women and girls getting into trouble. In Wellington and Auckland police matrons had been appointed, but. all they had done was to secure cases against fortune-tellers, 'I hen' was much more important work these matrons could take up. such as visiting parks, railway stations, picture theatres, etc. What was being advocated also by the women of this country was the establishment of labour farms, where women who had become affected by the social disease could Ih> treated, instead of the suggestion contained in the Bill to eompulsority detain them at- a hospital for si\ months. The speaker said that, compulsory notification wa,s only a farce. What wife would report her husband? Mr Russell's Bill bad been dratted jn tin- same lines as one in force in Australia, but when it. was stated that the Australian Bill had been dropped; it would be loeii that there was.something wrong with it in principle, and the New Zealand Bil. • liould certainly be considered further. Lady Stout said she did not think that Parliament was right in bringing down legislation »ii the idea that it would help the soldiers, the speaker contended that it "as not the oldiers who required legislation, but the stay-at-homes, the unlit, and married men. Tin' Bill, in its present, state, would apply o the women only, while the men went i'ree. This was certainly not, acceptable to ihe women of the country, and rightly so. Legislation was not the cure for social evil, but rather the standard of the peopll should be raised. The speaker advocated froe clinics, where affected persons could be treated privately and confidentially. Such i clinic had been established at.t'hristohurch. and was doing a splendid work, and others ihould be set up in other centres. In reply to questions as i<> how individual a omen could assist 0> frustrate the bill. Lady Stout, said they could assist by forwarding their 'objections to their member of Parliament, and pointing out that ii would !»• harmful to the best, interests of the •ountry. A voluntary clinic had been e-

ablished in Uliristphurcli v.liicli liuil proved l great success. Persons could go privately, without oven giving their names, and be (routed. An agitation was being made for the establishment of n clinic at Wellington. Tho following resolutions were moved by Dr. Godfrey, tteconded bv Mr Bradley, and worried:—; That tins meeting of citizens of Palmerdou North calls upon the Government to withdraw the Bill at present before Parliament dealing witli the'question of social hygiene, holding that such legislation would have the effeel of driving the evil underground. It further invites the Government to place the mutter of social hygiene before the Women's Societies, which have for the last twenty years been suggesting solutions of this problem. That in making appointments of women health officers or police, Parliament, should invite the co-operation of such Women's Societies, with a view to obtaining suitable women for such positions. That this meeting requests the Government to follow the example of the Canadian and South Australian Governments in appointing women Justices and Magistrates to deal with eases where women and children are concerned. That tiiis meeting recognises the urgent iced for immediate steps to deal with the iprcad of venereal diseases, and urges that iocal bodies should make provision throughout the country for tie:- efficient, free, and Confidential treatment of venereal diseases without penal or deterrent conditions, and ■irges the non-compulsory principle for treatment shall be observed in all cases, no ittctnpt beings made to enforce treatment, isolation, or detention on any pauper, pricilicr 01 any oilier person suffering from cnoreal disease. Further, that this meeting wishes to endorse the opinion of the British Itoyal (Joinniission. that if venereal diseases are to bo stumped out it will be ■ ccosstiry not only to provide the medical aicniis of combating them, but to raise the moral standards and practices of the community as n whole, . . . That in the opinion of this meeting it is imperative that the Government should immediately take steps to establish farm cololies. where persons who are a menace to the health and morals of tho community hould be given an opportunity to earn a li\ ing midi r supervision. That ibis meeting urgently requests tho Gov'.-rnniuiit, the local bodies, and Educa;ion Departmcnl to immediately inaugurate i course of lectures on social hygiene by qualified men and women to parents and guardians, university students, business men and women, employees and young people of i.tjlh sexe.-, the teaching to be on high • ho-.il and hygienic rather than medical [i'iils, and should avoid all statements which would be likel\ to cause panic and drive suirerers to have recourse to inexpert treat in-iil.