SOCIAL PROBLEM

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20803, 11 August 1937, Page 6

SOCIAL PROBLEM

MEASURES FOR ALLEVIATION By Telegraph—Press Association DUNEDIN, August 10 A decision to form a committee to act with similar committees throughout tiie Dominion in considering possible measures for the alleviating ot the abortion problem is revealed in the McMillan report, was .'cached last evening at a meeting of various bodies, which was addressed by Dr. Dawson, Professor of midwifery and gynaecology. Dr. Dawson considered that the annual abortion average might be nearer 7000 than 6000. He added that

it was by no means a single girl problem; his investigations showed that of a total of 733 consecutive abortion cases admitted to the Dunedin Hospital only 89 were single women. On the other

hand, a group of married women, who had between four and seven children, constituted 48.7 per cent of the total cases.

Monsignor Morkane, stating the attitude of the Roman Catholic Church, said it would oppose any suggestion for widening the legal facilities for abortion, whether criminal or sosailed therapeutic, because there was no difference in the church’s eyes. "I dissociate myself and the church from any suggestion that there should be legislation to widen the scope of therapeutic abortion. I dissociate myself and the church from any suggestion of legislation to establish birth control clinics, where people can be taught this evil. Similarly do I dissociate myself and the church from connivance on the part of the Government and newspapers in the sale of these goods that bring about abortion so frequently.”