SOCIAL HYGIENE BILL.

White Ribbon, Volume 23, Issue 268, 18 October 1917, Page 3

SOCIAL HYGIENE BILL.

On Thursday, October 4th, the Social Hygiene Bill was brought down in the Lower House, its purpose being to make provision for preventing the spread of venereal disease, and for effecting the cure of persons suffering from such diseases. It proposes to establish a Board of Social Hygiene and local Advisory Boards, on all of which both sexes are to be represented in almost equal proportions. Their function is to deal with prostitutes, reputed prostitutes, or persons habitually consorting with prostitutes who are believed, “on report of the Chief Health Officer or su< h other evidence as the Minister deems sufficient,“ to be suffering from venereal disease. Medical examination is compulsory, under maximum ’ er ;Ity of j£ioo fine or six months’ in.’ ment; such examinations of a v >:nan or girl to be by a woman doctor ; such persons to be detained until cuied in prison hospitals, to be established; also prisoners found to be suffering from venereal disease to be similarly detained. As to the general public, provision is made in the Bill for compelling every person suffering, or having cause to believe him-elf suffering from venereal disease, to pi re himself under treatment either from some registered doctor or from the hospital, and to attend for such treatment, at intervals of not more than four weeks, until entitled to a certihcate that he is cured. Change of medical adviser must be accompanied by a notification from the new doctor to the former one. Maximum penalty in this section, £2 o. Medical practitioners are instructed to give patients strict precautions, and warn them against contracting any marriage until a certificate of having been cured is granted. Parents are responsible ♦or treatment of their children under 16 years of age. A person suffering from venereal disease may not be employed in any capacity requiring him to handle food intended for consumption outside his employer’s household. Maximum penalty, .£IOO fine. Treatment of venereal diseases by others than registered medical practitioners is forbidden, under maximum penalty ,£IOO fine or one year’s imprisonment,

Kvery person who knowingly infects another is subject to tine, or twelve months' imprisonment, or both. Health patrols of either sex, with power of police constables, may be appointed by Minister of Public Health, “to protect the health and morality of young persons.” At the request of the Minister, Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards .ire to provide treatment for patients suffering from venereal disease. Such are the main provisions of tins important Bill, which it will be seen contains many good points stamping it as “up-to-date” in some respects. But the compulsory prin eiple which underlies it vitiates it and nullifies the benefit that might otherwise have accrued from it; and the fact that it has been brought dow n without any reference to the women societies that have always been so deeply interested in the subject has given rise to a certain amount of irritation. The story goes that but for prompt action taken by some of the leading members of these societies, the Bill would have ben rushed through the same day it was introduced. Be that as it may, a hurried advertisement on Friday night and Saturday morning sufficed to fill to overflowing the Ksperanto Hall on Saturday afternoon, when a woman’s me ting was held to protest against •.he Bill. Mrs Houlder, President of the District Union of the W.C.T.U., was in the chair, and the meeting was addressed by Dr. Newman, Mrs Field (of Nelson), Mrs McCombs (of Christchurch), Lady Stout, and Mrs Donaldson.

The Bill was severely criticised, the following being the main points objected to: —The compulsory nature of its methods, a principle which was specially condemned by the Royal Commission that sat in Britain in 1913, and found that the weight of evidence, medical, military, naval, and other, w as against compulsion; the many loopholes it allowed for wealthy or influential prostitutes to evade its provisions ; the fact that the weakest and most defenceless class were most severely hit by it; and that the character of innocent women and girls would be at the mercy of any unscrupulous man or woman; and the fact that though the Bill professed to treat both sexes alike, past experience proved that it was always the women

that were most affected by legislation of this kind, while the men for the most part got off lightly; the admission of any evidence without the ordinary safeguards required by an ordinary Court of Law ; the unlimited powers given to the Minister by Orders-in-Council; the failure to provide for education, which is, after all, the only really effective way of dealing w.th the evil, or to provide the means of earning a respectable livelihood for those whose living would be taken from them by the drastic legisl.it.on proposed. Apropos of this subject, it was pointed out that for years the Woniun Societies have been urging the establishment of farm colonies, but without response so far from the Government. It was agreed by all speakers that legislation was necessary, that the facts must be faced fairly and squarely, but that time must be given for the consideration of the Government proposals by the women of the Dominion, and an opportunity allowed for suggestions from them. Reference was made to the action taken in Sydney by the establishment of free clinics, and to the remarkable success that had attended the experiment, in one year over 4o,cxx> persons having sought treatment and advice, and a most interesting account was given of similar work done by the Christchurch Social Hygiene Society, with splendid results. It was suggested that something simitar should be done in Wellington, and in answer to a question, Dr. Newman stated that there was nothing required in the way of legislation to enable Hospital Boards all over the Dominion taking immediate action. The following resolutions were carried unanimously, and it was stated that another meeting would be held during the following week to deal yet further with the subject:— “This meeting wishes to endorse the opinion of the British Royal Commission that if venereal diseases are to be stamped out it will be necessary not only to provide the medical means of combating them, but to raise the moral standards and practices of the community as a whole.” “That this meeting recognises the urgent need for immediate steps to deal with the spread of venereal diseases. and urges that local bodies should make provision throughout the

country for the efficient, free, and confidential treatment of venereal diseases without penal or deterrent conditions, and urges that non-cora pul - sory principles for treatment shall be obs rved in all cases, no attempt being made to enforce treatment, isolation, or detention of any prisoner, pauper, or any other person suffeisng from venereal disease.”