DEGENERATES

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1578, 23 October 1912, Page 10

DEGENERATES

—♦ • PROPOSAL AT HOSPITAL BOARD. , ONE MEMBER QUITS THE BOOM. "That, in the opinion of this board, the Government should obtain_nn-ex-pression of opinion and tho views of delegates at tho Tuberculosis Conference, being held at Wcllinglon, as to the advisability of adopting means of t-terilisation in cases of hereditary degeneracy, such as lunacy and habitual (.-rimiuuls, advanced cases of consumption, or any disease which may bo considered hereditary and calculated to bring misery and suffering to a future generation." The above was the text of n resolution moved bv Mr. B. B. Gardener at yesterday's meeting of tho Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, when tho. ordinary business had been transacted. In speaking to the motion, Mr. Gardener admitted that ho was dealing with a subject that required delicate handling. Ho mentioned, however, that Dr. Ilardwiclce Smith had told him that ho thought that <ome good might come of the motion, and ho thought that it was a proper subject for the conference to have before it. Mr. Gardener then went on to refer to the annual expense of maintaining degenerates, and thought that in dealing with' this'question the board would bo taking a step in-the direction of minimising this expenditure. He then proceeded to read extracts from a paper read by Sir .las. Barr at a medical conference held in Liverpool last year. When'ho had been reading some minutes the l?ev. Mr. Van Staveren objected: "Eefer us to the book. We can all read

Mr. Gardener went steadily on with the reading. „, , , , Tho Bev. Mr. \nn Staveren protested that he had read enough. They were not all, fools. Thev could read it themselves. Mr. Gardener thereupon remarked that it was not his fault if they would not listen. He could'not afford,to buy-books and hand them round, becauso some of tho gentlemen probably would not read them; Ho was proceeding with tho reading when — .. . The Bev. Mr. Van Staveren interjected that they could- all get that out of a wellknown work, which he quoted. The chairman (Mr. .las. Trevor): Mr. Gardener has the floor and has a right to proceed. ; . The Rev. Mr. Van Staveren: I object to extracts, and I ask j-ou to object. ■ The chairman said he would not pull up Mr. Gardener at that stage. Mr. Gardener: If he will persist in interrupting he must put up with the agony n little longer. After that Mr. Gardener proceeded, but before the close of the discussion on the motion, the Rev. Mr. Van Staveren left the room. ■

Mr. P. T. Moore, who seconded the motion, suggested that it should be altered to make it read that the board's delegate (and not the Government) should obtain an expression of opinion. This was agreed to by the mover, though Mr. L'. M'Kenzie objected to the alteration and considered that the Government were the right people to move in the matter. v - After Messrs. M'Ewan, lioberlson, mid Godber had spoken brielly on the subject. Mr. Gardener rose to reply.. , The chairman: I think you will have it carried, Mr. Gardener, and why prolong the agony? Mr. Gardener, thus exhorted, made his reply brief, after which the motion was carried.