WOMEN AND BIRTH CONTROL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19529, 11 July 1925, Page 9

WOMEN AND BIRTH CONTROL.

“A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY.” WARM DISCUSSION. (From Ou.r Own Coreespondext.l LONDON, June 2. Birth control was among the many subjects dealt with at one session of tho National Conference of Labour Women at Birmingham. Mias Ellen Wilkinson, M.P., presided. Tho war was waged round a resolution proposed by Mrs Wamo, of East Ham South, and eventually carried by a largo majority, to the effect that it should Cm permissible for doctors employed in any medical service for which public funds are provided to give information on birth control to married people who desired it. Mrs Warne declared that the woman should be the deciding factor in how many children she would have and what the intervals of time should be in having those children. In the overcrowding conditions of to-day it was not convenient for many to have children.

Mrs Lasky (Chelsea) said that for 30 years every middle-class woman had had the necessary information at her disposal, and there had been no comment. It was only when the working woman wanted the information given in a scientific and clean way that there was any opposition. If the maternity and child welfare centres were left in the hands of Conservatives the workers would not get the information they wanted. She had been told many times by people than they wore in favour of birth control, but did not want it for the working classes, because where were tho soldiers to come from? —(“Shame!”) “We want fewer children and bettor quality,” concluded the speaker amidst cheers. Miss Quinn (Leeds) protested against birth control being taken on by the Labour movement, and added, “You are going to split the Labour movement. —(Dissent.) I represent thousands of working women in tho clothing trade, to whom this doctrine and this insidious propaganda of birth control spell impurity.—(interruption). I protest with all the vehemence I possess against the suggestion that working women want instruction in impure and unchaste methods. It is a crime against God and humanity.” (Dissent, and a voice, “That’s an insult to working mothers.”) Tho Chairman interposed that she had allowed Miss Quinn a good deal of latitude, but she would not allow her to insult the rest of tho delegates. Mbs Quinn : I represent tho sentiments of thousands of Catholic women. Tho Chairman said Miss Quinn must remember that other people might hold different views o.uite honestly, and she must not impute impure motives to them, (Cheers.) A delegate who stated that she was the mother of 13 said the question of birth control was an economic one, but another woman declared that she was a tenth child, and was glacj her mother did not stop at tho ninth.