SOCIAL HYGIENE BILL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16674, 19 October 1917, Page 4

SOCIAL HYGIENE BILL

GENERAL-: MINOR AMENDMENTS. [by TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

" • ;; WELLINGTON, Thursday. H Notice .was. given ;■ by the Hon. G. :W. Russell : to-day to ;■ move x a } number /•• of amendments in ■ the Social Hygiene -BilL; In clause; 7, sub-clause 1, which deals with ..the .powers of the Minister to take steps .to secure the detention ;of & person supposed to ' be suffering |from;?. venereal disease, it is proposed to alter the description of persons who may; be so detained so as to make it read as follows" Who is a common: prostitute, or; who habitually leads an immoral life, or who is a person habitually ! consorting . with prostitutes." ■ ■V Another alteration" to '• the ; same clause, gives the person detained the right to demand that he shall : be_' examined by : one or more medical . practitioners i nominated b" himself, in addition to examination by a" practitioner: nominated by, the Advisory Board. The institute. in which persons are to. be detained • are to be,-called " detention hospitals" instead of " prison hospitals." ' As regards . the character of - evidence required in order to satisfy the magistrate, the words " whether legally admissible in a Court of Law or not" are to be omitted. The provision that the places of detention shall be regarded as prisons is struck out. ; ,'; Clause 16, v " providing '% for. the payment out of public revenues of expenses of conveyance ; to prison hospital's, is struck out. Some alterations are. also mado regarding the", duties of or in respect of persons suffering from venereal disease." . , ?-%>■