MARRIAGE OF THE UNFIT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1722, 12 April 1913, Page 9

MARRIAGE OF THE UNFIT.

SHOULD IT BE PKEVEN.TED? Tho suggestion of tho Victorian Board of Health that the new Health 1 Bill should includo a ciauso requiring a clean bill of health from. any person desiring to marry does not appear to have impressed Stato Ministers of Victoria particularly (says the Melbourne "Age"). In fact, the deduction to bo derived from their remarks on tho 'question raised by the board on i its suduen outburst of energy a» the 1 mention of the new Bill, is that.it would be rather desirable for members to'devote their attention to the matters which! more immediately concern them, and leave alone for tho time being tho questions which are outside their' range. ■; ' . * ' , '.The Minister .of Health himself remarked, that the,aim of the motion—tho raising of a physically sound, clean racer-was by Jio means outside the range of. possibility; but oh the question whether he was prepared to move for tho clause to be inserted in the Bill he contented ■ himself with observing that it was a question of policy, and as such must be a matter for the Cabinet. ■' . ' The Acting-Premier was more critical of tho proposal. The-board's resolution, he.'said, opened.up a very.wide question; It would be difficult, in the first place, (•to say what would constitute a "clean bill of health" in tho case of couples about to marry. Did the board mean that the man and the woman should be physically .and mentally perfect? What chest measurement, for instance, would tho' board suggest? " ,If the couple did not come up to the standard of . measurements laid down, would they be sent about their business? And what tribunal was to decide upon their fitness or otherwise? He was rather afraid that if only the. physically, perfect wero to be permitted to ■marry there might be comparatively few unions. Moreover, if' the people who wanted to. marry were not allowed to be united in a legal way,' as at' present, it would only open the road to irregular Unions.. .At the, course, he had no hesitation,'m'Saying that;;a: great; number of "jicfjplp,'should not bo';allowed to niarry ancl'rcproducc 'tlicic kind.Still; it must.be reiaemliered'-that physically. 1 fit people did not-always produco physically fit children. To say tho. least of. it, j the subject was debatable. i The Minister'.'for Agriculture approved i of the idea, "jks;an idea." He could see, j lie said, that there wero many difficulties | in the way of carrying it out. The idea • ■in the mind, of the board,-he took it,-was j to prevent from, marriago petsqns afflicted • with .tuberculosis or transmissible' di- : seases... It was very regrettable that eon- • Bumptives should marry find produce chil- i jlren.' Still, he felt.that much.could be ; done by bringing into the oontcst' with disease tho latest approved - forces of j science.