War Regulations and the Women's Convention, Melbourne

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume IX, Issue 3, 1 July 1916, Page 131

War Regulations and the Women's Convention, Melbourne

We have been requested by the Press Superintendent of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, to draw the attention of our readers to the possibility of regulations being brought m on the lines of the old C. D. Act, which was repealed (after being practically a dead letter for many years), a few years ago. It is insisted upon by the women, who are taking up a firm stand on the matter, that regulations of the kind should not be passed by the governor, as the power is given him m the Bill, without opportunity beinggiven f o ■ full and free discussion. The women of the W.C.T.U. feel that, m case of any such regulations, the weight of their enactment would fall almost exclusively on the women, and that the innocent would suffer as well as the guilty. Tho passing of the recent Act m Westerli Australia has brought the matter very prominently forward, and the women m Australia fear that similar Acts will be passed m other States and similar methods of fighting the contagious diseases be adopted m New Zealand. The report of the Convention called by the Women's Political Association, given m the paper "The Woman Voter," puts the whole question most clearly and gives its reasons for the opinion that "legislation of the compulsory character suggested will not only not accomplish what is desired, but that it will increase the evil." From a public health point of view,

medical officers are of opinion that registration of prostitutes would be of little use, as the clandestine prostitute is far more dangerous than the one who is regularly training, and who may have attained an immunity from infection. The dealing with the disease merely from the health standard would be, compared with such infectious diseases as scarlet fever, the source of infection of which is often unknown and impossible to avoid, and, as infantile paralysis, the cause of which is still a mystery, quite simple. It is the moral aspect which renders it so difficult to deal with, and the fact that perfectly innocent people suffer for the sins of others. Thoughtful nurse have it m their power to do a good deal to point out the dangers ahead, and the necessity of educating young children, and teaching them selfcontrol. We regret that we have no space to include extracts from the report contained m the papers referred to of May 18, and 26, and can only advise our readers to make themselves acquainted with the subject of what they can do to prevent inadequate legislation. This matter has also been brought before the branch of the T.N.A., m Auckland, but it is felt that nurses, as a body, should not take up matters outside their profession. Though, individually, they may, of course, act as they think fit.