SOCIAL HYGIENE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17132, 11 October 1917, Page 5

SOCIAL HYGIENE

' FURTHER WOMEN'S PKOTESTS. ' ' % i. . fc (FnoM Ouh Own Correspondent ) ■ -| '. WELLINGTON, October 10. % Tho Hon. G. W. Russell has received " & '. telegrams from various branches of tha 3 3 W.C.T.U., protesting against several clauses ■ip . of the Social Hygiene Bill, and hag for--..|j! [ warded tho folio-wing reply:— ( _■' ' « 5 1. Tho compulsory powers of detention .$ } and examination are alreadv the law in. *j * section 19 of " The Hospitals Act, 1913," . x . and ''Tho Prisoners' Detention Aot, 1915."- i-J 3 I have hitherto refrained from bringing"' ' ! -°fi I these powers into force, and am now pro- . viding safeguards which will effectually I tect the womanhood of the dominion from sjjf . the possibility -of anything Lie tho, Con- \£ 5 tageous Diseases Act. Ono of theao is the/. ii i examination of women by women doctors.' '$j[ . Drastic action to save our population, am ;*M ; especially our soldiers, from evil oonscV {4 ', quenecs is, however, absolutely necessary. - t '& : 2. The statement that the Bill re-enacts '; r 3 the, worst clauses of tho CD. Act is absolutely untrue. ' 3. Compulsory notification is not provided ,| '■ for in tho Bill. This has been left out of s ,the Bill in order to protect vie- Vj! ' Tims of disease, and bjcauso the British, ". £' ! Royal Commission did not reoo - mwiKl it. '« •' '■ 4:,'llia statement that the Bill will affcot .j{j • ono sex only is untrue.; both sexes are , *!j equally liable .under it. ~.\'\ ■ 5. It is not intended to treat dis'rased'per- "A "' sons for a short time only, but to hold' L them until they cease to bo a menace to tho ,_ '■> ' public health. ' '' ; X' ' 6. The only persons who will como under '',) ' tho compulsory clauses aro diseased prosti- '•£ tutes and persons of both sews. - c ;*J 1 7. Free treatment at hospitals &r.a labora-"' -j| ' torics is amply provided for in the Bill. _ "p 3. An edicefttional oanrpaitrn is already in 'j# ' existence. One' pamphlet' by a woman doc- •'£ '' tar is already in circulation, and another 1 for men will shortly b© issued. >it ' 9. Tlie attwm-pt to roinimko tho diseases•/■&,s ■ in car country should command Iho port of all woman, as they' and children are v ;s most seriously affected. \tj ______________ ' rjl