FOUNDLING HOSPITALS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 12793, 11 June 1909, Page 2

FOUNDLING HOSPITALS.

To Prevent infanticide.

(P<vr United Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, June 9

At to-night's meeting of the Auckland branch of the Liberal and Labour Federation, 1. Graham, the Auckland City Coroner, moved, "That in view of the abandonment and 'putting away' or newly born infants, ■which at. present obtains throughout the Dominion, the Fo-rlc-ration respectfully urges upon the Government the importance of establishing 'fouir'li .r y.sj tals' at each of the chief cenue<s, such institutions tending to discourage infanticide." Mr Gresham read a letter he had received from a Mrs Bedford, regrett.rg the great amount of infanticid> prevailing in the Dominion, and urging 1 -m »» a<.-.vst in bringing the matter before Parliament with a view to some remedy. In hie puMic 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 email proportion of a large numbrr that were never heard of. The Act provided that the birth ofc a child must be notified to the Registrar within 72 hours thereafter, and within. 60 days it must be registered. Last year, only 700 had been notified. He intends writ ing to the Attorney-General as to why the notification Of birttl was not generaUy carried out, as enacted by statute. It was an alarming fact that only 700 births out of 2700 had been, notified. Further discussion of the motion was adjourned until a later date.