PUBLIC MORALITY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2430, 10 October 1900, Page 24

PUBLIC MORALITY.

A conference of ministers representing the Protestant churches of Christcburch and suburbs has drawn up a number of recommendations which have been forwarded to the Premier. Some of the recommendations were to the following effect: —

Preventives. — We, ministers of the Gospel, assembled in conference, hold that, except in special cases, which can only be pronounced upon by medical authority, the use of preventives is absohitcly immoral ; but, in view of their imrestucted sale, which encourages immorality and is tending, in our opinion, to an alarming decrease in the butli rate of the colony, we recommend : (1) That the sale of preventives be lestricted to qualified chemists; (2) that the- sale of preventives to any person under twenty-one years of age be subject to penalty; (3) that the hawking of preventives be made a' criminal offence; (4) that the wholesale dealers in preventivesywhether such preventives are imported or manufactiued within the colony, be required to keep a. register of their sales ; (5) that any advertisement or notification of preventives be made illegal except in trade catalogues.

Coiiiagi'ous 'Discusps.— The lecommenclafcions provide foi ck&sing contagious diseases with.

other infectious diseases which must be reported under penplty; that any person treating such disease be subject to the same penalty for not reporting as is a qualified practitioner; that the use of drug 9 usually given be taken as presumptive evidence, and that any ]3erson supplying medicine except on the prescription of a local medical man shall satisfy himself that the case has been duly reported.