MENTAL DEFECTIVES’ BILL IS STONEWALLED

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 41, 26 September 1928, Page 5

MENTAL DEFECTIVES’ BILL IS STONEWALLED

I MEASURE FOUGHT ! CLAUSE BY CLAUSE MUCH HOSTILITY SHOWN. AN ALL NIGHT SITTING. s h WELLINGTON, This Day. 6 ; At 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon ' the House of Representatives went i into committee on the Menial Defoe■s’f lives Bill, towards which tike Oppos'd ition at once developed! consider Ws- - 11 tility, lighting it clause for clause *' | and) calling for several divisions in : I which they were heavily defeated, j The Prune Minister stated the : Bill was a policy measure and must f bo passed, j,. , .Something in the nature of a stonewall was then raised and after; siting alii night the House adjourned at 7 o’clock till 9 a.m. with only fifteen clauses passed. A LONG DEBATE. SEVER AL A LTEIRATJ.ON S. 1 ■ Press Association-Copyright WELLINGTON, Thu, Day. Tlie Speaker resumed the Chair at . 10.50 a.m., when Mr Parry moved ■•. to’ recommit the Mental Defectives Bill with, a view to compiling a separate register for children and adults. : The Minister said this was unpracuo* .able, as in many cases mental defee lives were still children after they . were grown up. The proposal was j lost on the voices. On the third reading, Mr Holland said the long debate was due enEie- ■ ly to refusal of the Minister to indicate what clauses he was prepared to compromise upon. The Bill was now, vastly improved, and this improvement was due entirely lo the attitude of the Opposition. | There still, however remained, Clause 7, to which the Labour Party strenuously objected. With a view of giving the House a further opportunity to consider that clause, he moved to recommit the Bill. I This was seconded by Sir Joseph Ward, who adversely commented upon the methods employed to force j the Bill through the House. ... On a division being taken, Mr Hol,.land’s amendment to commit the Bill waa defeated by 38 to 25, and the B(ll was read a third time an passec}.. The Prime Minister intimated that the clauses which liad been withdrawn, would be reconsidered ..when they were better understood by the Country. 1 h 1 *•' ; “t ~

.COMMITTEE STAGE FINISHED ' Press Association —Copvright WELLINGTON, This Day. When the committee resumed at I 9 ; o’clock Mr Sullivan asked what ’•‘provision was made for assisting potor immigrants to appeal against the., registration of their children under clause 17. The Minister, in reply, said it would be his duty to fram e regulations governing these proceedings. It was his idea that such cases would be heard by a Judge in Chambers. Counsel would not be encouraged to go thbre as advocates, because it would be entirely a matter of arriving at facts. It -was his intention that parents should not have to bear any part of the expense of such appeals. The clause was passed. Th e Minister annc uuced that he proposed to withdraw clause 21, .prohibiting the marriage of persons registered under the foregoing provisions of the Act a nd this was agreed to, preliminary to the withdrawal of clause 25, dealing with sterilisation. Clause 25 was subsequently withdrawn. In. the discussion of the final clause the Minister said the class of society which the Government proposed to recognise was that known asi the “After Care” Society, but nothing definite was decided yet. The societies selected would he highclass social service societies. Several members urged the exclusion of the “busybody” from interference with those who come under the Act. Mr Lysnar moved a new clause to facilitate the discharge of patients from mental hospitals, which the Minister would not accept, and this completed the committee stage.