A NATIONAL PERIL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11757, 22 July 1916, Page 9

A NATIONAL PERIL.

(Special to the "Star. ') WELLINGTON, July 22. The Minister of Public Health fully deserved the compliments that were heaped upon him njter his very valuable contribution to the- debate on Wednesday night. It was at the special request of the House that Mr Russell followed -the Attorney-General with an explanation of the steps the Government proposed to take to protect the community from the ravages of venereal diseases and if possible to remove this frightful peril from the path of the nation. .The Minister had carefully prepared his speech, in fact, the greater part of it was read by the indulgence of the House from his own manuscript, and whether the proposals of the. Government are approved or not this plain statement of the position ought to l«e widely circulated for general information. v It lias been said by some of his critics that (he Minister is seeking to revivo in another guise the objection-, able legislation that was swept from the Statuti; Book years ago, but Mr Russell gives a most emphatic denial/to this suggestion and no one who reads the full text of his speech without personal bias and without unworthy suspicion can doubt his determination to deal justly between the sexes and to avoid placing any indignity upon women. The recollection of what has gone before, to say nothing of the potency of public opinion, would save any Government from such a crime.