PREVALENCE OF INFANTICIDE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2882, 16 June 1909, Page 12

PREVALENCE OF INF ANTICIDE.

FOUNDLING HOSPITAL SUGGESTED. AUCKLAND, June 9. At to-night's meeting of the Auckland Branch of the Liberal and Labour Federation, Mr T. Gresham, Auckland €ity Coroner, moved — " That in view" of the abandonment and ' putting away ' of newly-born infants, which at present obtains throughout the Dominion, the federation respectfully urges upon the Government the importance of establishing ' foundling hospitals ' at each of the chief centres, sucii institutions bending to discourage infanticide." Mr Gresham read a letter he had received from a Mrs Bedford, regretting , the great amount of infanticide prevailing in the Dominion^ and urging him to assist in bringing the matter before Parliament, with' a view to some remedy. In his public position, this matter had been forcibly, brought, under his notice on more than' one occasion. The" few cases that came before the coroner must be, and were, but a. small proportion of the Jarge number that were never heard of. The act provided that the birth of a child must be notified to the registrar within 72 hours thereafter, and within 60 days it must be registered. • Now, of 2700 births registered last year, only 700 had been notified: He intended writing to the Attorney -general as to why the notification of birth was not' generally carried out and enacted by statute. It was an alarming facfthat only 700 births out of 2700 had been notified. Further discussion of the motion was adjourned until a -later date.