THE MARRIAGE AGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21997, 5 July 1933, Page 7

THE MARRIAGE AGE

HIS EXCELLENCY SHOCKED NEED TO AWAKEN PUBLIC OPINION (Prat United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, July 4. In commending the work of the New Zealand Society for the Protection of Women and Children in an address last night, his Excellency Lord Bledisloe said: "I was surprised and a. little shocked to read in the paper that it is possible and even legitimate for children of 12 or 14 to get married. I cannot help thinking that this is a matter upon which public opinion might properly be expressed, so that the Government, if it feels that the public has strong views on the subject, might be persuaded to make some alteration. Of course, in this, as in some similar matters, the Government is not justified in taking action unless it is fully persuaded that a large part of the body politic is behind it in any ameliorative action." No citizen could throw off his share of responsibility for evil domestic conditions and resulting immorality and crime. It was the duty of each, according to his or her ability, to do what was possible to ameliorate such conditions. The remedies most likely to be effective were education, home influence, and, perhaps, most of all, environment. The financial burden of crime, lunacy and disease, much of which was bred in slum surroundings, was fully 10 times the cost of wise preventive measures. This was illustrated by an experience he had had 20 years ago, when he found himself, with a number of other Gloucestershire land owners, opposing a plan to provide for children in the poorer schools during the winter. It seemed at that time that the scheme would tend to pauperise working people, that it would be a burden on the ratepayers, and be open to abuses in administration. However, after five years' study of the statistics, he found that he had made a profound mistake. The effort to enable children to go to school properly nourished had proved one of the best investments ever made..