WAR REGULATIONS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2856, 22 August 1916, Page 6

WAR REGULATIONS

TO BE GAZETTED TO-DAY ANTI-SHOUTING RULE OTHER IMPORTANT s PROPOSALS The regulations to be made under tho Atar Regulations Act of last session will be gazetted to-day. Tho regulation which will be tho most important from the point of view of the people generally will "be that making illegal the practice of "shoutm ' ?r "treating." In the Act the following definition of treating was given "The act of any person who directly or indirectly, (a) paysj or undertakes or offers to pay; or (b) gives,. or lends, or offers, or undertakes to give or lend money with which to pay for any intoxicating ■ liquor sold or to be sold on licensed premises for consumption 011 those premises by any person other than the person first mentioned." It is also provided that "treating" shall include "any other act that the Governor may by Order-in-Council declare to be treating.' 1 Another, important regulation will give to tho polico extended powers to suppress sly grog-selling. The object of this regulation is not especially the prevention of tho kind of illicit sales which take place .in No-License areas, but of the illegal sale of liquor in places in the City to which men are exposed to other evils besides drink. It. is stated that these houses are frequented by some soldiers, and that there thcv have m the past been supplied with j i. harmful linuor, and have in' other ways been rendered less' efficient. The other section of, the regulations will deal with the suppression of prostitution and with venereal disease. The police are to bo given power to suppress what are known as "one woman" houses of ill-fame, which at present niay exist under our law. > The regulations will give the proper authorities power to exercise a certain limited control'over persons suffering from venereal disease. The scheme defined bv the Minister of Public Health . when the Bill was before the House was that persons suffering from venereal disease who had been convicted in tho courts or an, offence could be hold even, after the expiry of their tflrm of imprisonmenh until cured of their ailment. One of the safeguards in tho scheme against the molestation of innocent people was that there could be no questioning or examination of a person until -ifter that person, man or woman, had heen convicted. For the treatment, of persons of a slightly or whollv different class, unfortunate' enough to contract amform of venereal disease, it was the hone of the Minister that, free clinics miVht be established, under the control of the Public Health Department. It is_ nrohable that the regulations will provide for the nutting into effect of the Minister's plans.