The White Ribbon. For God and Home and Humanity. WELLINGTON, SEPT, 18, 1920. PUBLIC HEALTH.

White Ribbon, Volume 26, Issue 303, 18 September 1920, Page 9

The White Ribbon. For God and Home and Humanity. WELLINGTON, SEPT, 18, 1920. PUBLIC HEALTH.

In oui July issue appeared a letter from the pen of I>r. Valentine, Chief Health Officer, on the subject of compulsory examination of persons suspected of suffering: from venereal disease. Our Christchurch Union wrote protesting against Health Patrols coercing young girls and forcing them to submit to medical examination. The Health Officer says there is no coercion, but if any woman is suspected of having venereal disease he allows the Health Patrols to persuade them to submit to examination. We fancy that the Doctor’s idea of persuasion is akin to that of the “coster lidy" who sings “I persuaded him*, I persuaded him With my old kitchen poker Did I wallop my old joker, Till he said he’d love his mother-in law.”

This compulsion is not permitted by law. but under “War Regulations.” We are not at war now, and we must watch closely that no attempt is made to embody this vicious principle in any Health Rill passed by the House. It is the same principle which was embodied in the famous to D, by which so many innocent women were ~ompell ed to submit to examination, that the women of Kngland forced the military authorities to repeal the infamous enactment. it is opposed to every sentiment of British fair play. A person is accused of having venereal disease, all evidence is taken in camera, and if wrongfully accused the person has no redress. When a Rill introducing a similar clause was discussed in the Victorian Parliament, the ex Minister for Public Health told of men wrongfully accusing “waitresses in some of the principal metropolitan hotels, and cited instances from Toorak of working girls wrongfully accused. In plain fact, these men, who could frequent these liest hotels, finding these waitresses resisting tHeir approaches, unable to assail their virtue, in malice sought to destroy their fame. Tt allows any evil man, for spite, to accuse* any woman, and she is compelled to submit to medical examination, and if wrongfully accused has no redress. This was one of the most vicious principles in the infamous C D. Acts. Many were the cases where young working girls, who had resisted athieks upon their virtue, were then accused b\ the evil men who had failed to ruin them, and ordered to come up for examination. Then too often, with their character ruined by false accusation, they fell an easy prey to their destroyer. One such case ended in tragcd>. Th* young woman drowned herself sooner than submit to examination, and loft i letter telling wh> she had taken her life. Now this thing is being done in our New Zealand towns, and in one of our own cities so many innocent girls were sent for examination on suspicion that a doctor, commenting on the iniquity of it. said if the women’s societies did not take the matter up, he would be compelled to do so. If these diseases are so prevalent that (ompulsory examination is necessary, then every person, from the GovernorGeneral to th - youngest infant, should be compelled to submit to examination. Rut few would approve so drastic nn Act

as this. Then \\c have no light to allow anyone to be compelled t«» submit to examination on suspicion. It is class legislation and sex legislation of the worst kind. It is applied only to women, and to women who are friendless It places the reputation of the working girl at the mercy of any villain who likes to give false evidence against her secretly. This is evidence of panic legislation. M.P.’s have talked loudly of the infamy of diseased women infecting young soldiers, yet these same men have seen many eases of wealthy reprobates infecting young and innocent wives, and have never raised a protest. There’s only one way to stamp out venereal disease, and that is to avoid Ibe sin that onuses it. Should it be proposed to place an Act embodying this provision upon our Statute Rook, we hope every Union will protest to Ministers and to their own M R Miss Henderson, our capable Legal and Parliamentary Superintendent, will give full warning upon the receipt of this ~et, and act quickly.