The White Ribbon. For God and Home and Humanity. THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 1910. THE CONTAGIOUS DISEASES ACTS.

White Ribbon, Volume 15, Issue 180, 16 June 1910, Page 7

The White Ribbon. For God and Home and Humanity. THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 1910. THE CONTAGIOUS DISEASES ACTS.

A Summary of the Powers Granted under their Operation, etc. THE Contagious Diseases Acts were introduced into England in 1 and it is on record that the great majority of those among the public who interested themselves in Parliamentary matters were under the impression that these Acts had reference to rattle. So quietly and stealthily did the promoters set to work that the Acts were passed in the House of Commons in the early hours of the morning, when most of the members were in bed, and those who remained to vote were half asleep. The Acts were also passed through the House of Lords with unusual haste and secrecy. The title misled many, for the only diseases referred to in the Acts were those which were the result of sexual vice. Although immoral men and women were equally liable to infection, the Acts were for the pro-

tertian of itnnnrnl men anti/. There were no provisions made for the protection of teamen.

A large number of English towns were subjected to these enactments, 1 heSecret Police, specially appointed (who were spies in plain clothes), having power over women resident within fifteen miles of these towns.

To those detectives a despotic power was given over all women in these districts, for if one of them “ had good cause to suspect” a woman to he a common prostitute, he could get her summoned before a magistrate, not to charge her with any offence —immorality is not an offence dealt with by British law’

hut to ascertain whether she w r as free from disease. If she did not appear, the magistrate could order her, although, innocent, diseased or not, to he “ periodically examined ” by a surgeon. A woman had no right of appeal from a magistrate’s decision, however unjust or severe it might he.

It was asserted the women snhmitted voluntarily. The truth is that they were called upon to sign a paper called a ” voluntary submission, ’ which w as so worded as entirely to conceal its real meaning and effect —a trap in fact. Should they refuse to “submit voluntarily” to medical examination, they w r ere told by the police that they would he compelled to do so. This ” submission,” therefore, w’as a hitter mockery, and a snare to many hundreds of poor, timid women and girls. She must submit to this examination whenever and w’herever ordered by the surgeon, and if she failed to come, the punishment for the first offence was imprisonment, the second three months, the third three months with or without hard labour, and so on, over and over again. If the woman was proved to be free from disease, she was liberated, and a notice for her reexamination was made out from time to time, and handed to the police. The woman w’as liberated no apology or compensation being allowed her hut she w’as not free. She was healthy, and must he kept so. The Acts expressly contemplated continuance of immoral courses, for they provided for the enforced appearance fortnightly, or as often as the surgeon thought fit, fora specified term. She was registered and re-

cognised as a prostitute, under medical and police regulation, sanctioned by law. Although the term w’as carefully avoided, she was, to all intents and purposes, “ licensed,” to pursue her trade. So long as she could not contaminate men, the objects of the Acts were accomplished. Under such a system, serious mistakes were frequently made. Repeated imprisonments occurred from time to time of women wdio refused with indignation to he examined. Suicides are on record, and sad cases of women who had unwittingly signed the ” voluntary submission.” hut who never recovered from the horror and shock of the proceedings. Instances of dastardly conduct were found, too, on the part of immoral men of w’ealth and position who, after endeavouring in vain to persuade young and innocent girls to their ruin, took revenge by handing their names to the special police forsummonsand registration. Needless to say, the girls w’ere members of poor and unintluential families, who had no means of redress!

It w’as for the repeal of these terrifying enactments that our revered Josephine Butler devoted her energies in England, and succeeded in 1873 in getting them expunged from the statute books of that country. It is quite possible that there are women in New Zealand, and even in our W.C.T.U. branches who have not heard of these measures. Yet they are on our New Zealand Statute Books to-day, and are, word for word, similar to the English C.l). Acts, the provisions of which I have described. The women’s societies throughout New Zealand, as well as our W.C.T.U. have petitioned and appealed to the New ZealandCJovernment to repeal these Acts, hut so far in vain. Yet to the credit of some of our legislators, it must he said that the House of Representatives passed a Bill for “repeal,” hut the honourable members of the Legislative Council refused to allow’ it to pass. !

Even after the date of the “ Repeal ” Act in England, it was found that some of the methods and practices in connection with the Acts were being used in the English Army in India. Through Frances Willard’s influence, two of our

World’s W.C.T.U. women —Dr. Kate Bushnell and Mrs. Andrews-were sent by the British Government to India to find out and report on the real state of affairs in the Army there.

They found matters even worse than were reported, for the women who were “procured ’’ for the use of soldiers, and who came under the jurisdiction of the Acts, were natives of India, and an easy prey. They were housed in pens like so many cattle; never allowed to leave these dens, until from disease they were no longer fit to ply their “ trade,” when they were thrown out and left to live or die, quite regardless of what became of them. At first Lord Roberts denied the statements made, but afterwards was obliged to admit that things were as these ladies had reported them to be, although he had not been aware of it. The following reasons why the C.D. Acts should be repealed in New Zealand were prepared by a friend of “ Repeal ’ and published by our W.C.T.U. some years ago :

Four Reasons why the Contagious Diseases Acts should he Repealed : 1. Because they are a glaring violation of constitutional law. Heib rt Spencer nays that they *• treat with contempt the e*.-<ntial principles of constitutional rule.” Lord Hals bun', the late Lord Chancellor, writing of one of the powers conferred by these Acts, says, “It is contrary to the whole spirit and principle of our law.” The C 1). Acts allow a woman to Is* urged to criminate herself. They sanction her being intimidated to w rite herself down as guilty before she has had any kind of trial whatever. They hold her to be guilty until she can prove herself to bo innocent. They condemn and punish on the mere suspiciou of the jsdice, and no positive proof is required. They grant no ojan trial. The accu*cu is trod in a secret court.

2. Because they are an insult to the womahood of the Dominion. I n I*T these Acts a pure and noalest woman may la* subjected to the most disgusting personal outrage. It* f<»re these Acts were repealed in Kngland, many cruel indignities were indicted on inmaent giris, respectable married women, and even ou ladies of g(aal position. Any woman is completely at the mercy of a policeman, who may ho either stupid or vicious. It is all hut impossible for persons falsely accused and cruelly outraged to get redress The policeman may plead in excuse 1 of the greatest outrage that a woman can suit* r his intrntiun to • b *v the Act.

If the verdict is not decided against the polioennn he shall obtain from the woman full costs ; hut if the verdict is for the outraged woman she shall not have costs unless the judge shall certify that he approves it}. Profess->r Newman *-iys, “ I >id ever any stupid, ignorant, reckless barbarians make such a law.” 3. Because they are useless in checking tbe spread of disease. M. Lecour, Commissi ire rnterrogateur, and Chef de Bureau a la Prefecture de Police, whose duty it is to superintend th« administration of these Arts in Paris, any*. “ The evil is a moral and social one, and cannot la* controlled by the jiolioo, who can neither restrain nor destroy it.” Leon L fort, of the Paris faculty and physician to the dn Midi hospital for men, says, “ The means employed against syphilis in Paris amount to nothing.” Dr Armand Despres, for thirty years surgeon to the Lourcine, *he great hospital with upwards of 300 lads, devoted s .My to the treatment of venereal disease in women, says, “ There are some police laws decimal to regulate drbam herv the Iru<h (,'.D. Arts) ; thus the liMrty of -ome woi mi has brru destroys! in order to give security to debauched men, l»t f th> rr.oift ho* not iitiMi ii'til i XjM'vtntrot .”

The Sanitary Commissioner of the Punjab reported to the Government, “That, notwithstanding the preventive arrangements of recent years, there is nowhere any substantial improvement in the condition of the troops as regards venereal diseases ” (These “ preventive arrangements,” the C.D. Acts, have since Men repealed). The Army Sanitary Commission is the highest hygienic authority iu the British Array. That Commission, in 1893 forwarded to the Government a memorandum in which it was stated that the re-introduction of the Lock Hospital on sanitary grounds could not Ik* recommended. Mr Campbell-Bannerman, the Secretary of State for War, in reply to questions put in the House of Commons in June, 1S‘>4. said, “That, after looking very carefully into the matter, with the assistance of sonic of the most eminent and comp, tent medical authorities, the conclusion to which he and every one else who had looked into the subject came to —was that tin *se Arts had no praetin 1 • tb-ct whatever in checking the progress of disease. ll** also stated that, as a matter of f ict, the manlier of men affected bv this disease had diminished since the repeal of th<*se A--tv'

4. Because the C.D. Acts actually help to spread disease by creating a false sense of security. M. Lwour says, “ All thes** r. Milts prove that it (Prostitution) is now more dangerous than ever to the public heulth.* Dr Jeannel acknowledges that thenumlier of diseaw*d persons is greater in Paris thin in London which has twice th* population). Dr Drysdale made the same nwrti->n liefore the most eminent Continental imsiical auuthorities at the Venereal Midieal Congnus held at Pari-, and the truth of the assertion was frankly acknowledged.

When the French introduced the C.I). Acts into Algeria venereal disease amongst the soldiery incn*as< d until in a comparatively short time it had doubled. The smallest amount of disease in the French army was among th** troops who were quartered in Rome, where the Pope refused to allow the C.D. Acts to Is* put in opcialion. Mr Acton, in his work on Prostitution, says “ The hope of escaping punishment, nmltiplies vicious habits, and many men are tempted by the health examinations who otherwise would never incur the risk.” lie tells of men who have travelled hundreds of miles, lurid by a false security, to visit French brothels, where periodical examinations are eaniid out, and have immediately contracted a foul disorder. Professor Andrews says, “ As a professional man I have lieen compelled to laugh at the frequent instances where young Americans have, w ith infinite gullibility, co-habited with loose women in Paris lieoHUse they supposed it safe there, hut were utterly astonished afterwards to find that they had contracted syphilis,” Many other reasons could he given. For example: The(\D. Acts should be repealed because “it is immoral for the State to legalise vice.” But the “ Four Reasons ’ alone should bo sufficient to show that the example set by Kngland—years ago—in repealing these abominable Acts should be followed by New Zealand without delf.y.

Two very cogent reasons were supplied to account for the inetticacv of these Acts. < >ne was that, in spite of the vigilance and secret methods of the police, only a fractional number of prostitutes were registered. The deprivations of liberty and the enforced examinations would be enough in themselves to induce these women to do their utmost to escape the notice of the police. But as well as this, there was the dislike of being registered as a public prostitute. < luce on the register, it was almost impossible to return to a pure life. The result therefore was that a large number of diseased women were living under immoral conditions and spreading disease, afraid to seek health in a voluntary manner for fear of being segregated. The second reason given for the inefficiency of the Acts was that the examination* themselves were practically useless There is a condition called by the Medical Faculty “ Mediate Contagion,” which is described as “ the transmission of the disease from one client to another, even by women who, having passed through all stages of the disease, had themselves become immune.” This class is said to be more dangerous than any other, because examination in such cases is useless, the disease not being detectable. Two representative conferences were held in Brussels in 1899 and 1902 respec-

tively, to discuss the question of the-e Acts in all their hearings, and the results were remarkable, considering that the members and delegates were divided in their opinions on the Acts. The first conference was organised by a committee of medical experts in Brussels on the initiative of Dr. Dubois Havenith, a distinguished Belgian Specialist, and under the Presidency of the Belgian Minister of Health, and the Burgomaster of Brussels.

It was specialist and authoritative in the highest degree. It numbered some 360 members of thirty-three nationalities. Of these 107 were Government delegates, representing twenty-nine different countries, mostly European, but including the I nited States, Persia, and Japan. The English War ( Mfice and India < I Mice were represented, together with the Royal College of Surgeons, the Irish College of Surgeons, and the British Medical Association. Out of the entire number, 305 were doctors, and a large nuiubei of these held public posts in the service of health, or as professors of the special subject. The sixty-five non-medical members included Ministers of State, heads of Police and Health Departments, delegates of municipalities, legal authorities and professors, and a few other persons individually invited on the ground of special competence, and representing, for the most part, the Sociological side of the subject : among these were several ladies.

The conference lasted for live days. After much discussion, it was generally admitted that the “Regulation" system failed to reach more than a very small proportion of those it professed to control, and that it afforded a very imperfect protection even as regards these last, for the period of enforced segregation covered only a comparatively short time, and ceased with the disappearance of the primary symptoms, while the disease remained ineradicated for years. It was also admitted that while enforced detention was carried on for medical examination, none of the non-registered women would voluntarily apply for treatment, fearing detention also, and thus the disease spread unchecked. Dr. Prof. Fournier, of Paris (where the Acts are in operation , said that whatever the authorities had been able to do in the way of regulation, “it still remains inadequate, and the disease abounds and supera bounds.”

It was remarkable that although those present held varying opinions, none of the resolutions passed recommended any form of administrative coercion as applied directly to the communication <d‘ disease, and four of them aim at the

prevention of vice as itn roof of fhe irhote evil. The second conference was more of a purely statistical nature, and while of scientific importance, the details are not nearly so interesting.

In some of the various Continental countries there is a widespread movement towards the abolition of the Acts, notably in Norway, Denmark, and Italy. In France, the extra Parliamentary Committee under the Ministry of M. Cleinenceau reported in favour of the abolition of the Acts, and the initiation of a series of measures for the prevention of juvenile prostitution, the punishment of procuration, etc. In our own dependency of India, an inmense improvement has taken place in the health of the troops during the last few years, the hospital admission rate sinking from 200 in 1901 to ISJ in PJOS, 117 in 1906, and 88 in 1907—per 1000.

Varioir reasons are given for this change. Commanding officers realise more fully venereal disease as a cause of inefficiency, and exercise to a greater extent their personal iniluence to induce men to lead pure, healthy lives. Lectures are given by a specially qualified medical officer, and outdoor games are encouraged. The improved education of men, and consequently a higher moral sense, together with less indulgence in alcohol, has had a considerable inliuence in reducing the incidence of these diseases, says the latest report.

And yet, with all this evidence to hand, the Contagious Diseases Acts are on our Statute Book still! The question is, hoir Ion;/ are we to allow them to remain there? At the Wellington Convention a deputation waited on Sir Joseph Ward to ask him to bring in a Repeal Bill. He seemed to he sympathetic, and promised consideration of the question. But we must not let the matter rest, for we shall never be quite safe until the Acts are off our Statute Books.

“Regulation” has been secretly enforced by the municipal authorities in Montreal recently, in defiance of the Dominion law against brothel-keeping. Certain houses of ill-fame have been “tolerated" undm the joint auspices of the Chief of Police and the Junior Recorder of Montreal. A public exposure of these doings commenced in December last, when the Rev. Arthur French initiated a campaign against haunts of vice, and personally appeared to prosecute in cases where such places were raided. The matter was a surprise to some of the aldermen, and even to the Senior Re-

corder, who declared that he had never been consulted in the matter, and was now prepared to give his veto against

such proceedings. Thus secretly do the pi omotersof those abominable Acts pursue their ends. But, thanks chiefly to the Rev. Arthur French, prostitution is no longer “ regulated in Montreal. Truly “ the price <*f liberty is enternal ** vigilance." New Zealand women must not rest until the Contagious Diseases Acts—which are unjust to women, hurtful morally, and useless hygionicallv—are expunged from the Dominion’s Statute Books.

Sgd.) K. \V. Sheppard