SOCIAL HYGIENE BILL
PROTEST OF WOMEN'S SOCIETIES A meeting of women, called by Lady Stout to discuss the provisions contained in the Social Hygiene Bill recently brought before Parliament was held in tho Esperanto Hall on Saturday afternoon. _,The hall was filled to overflowing, and among the audience were representatives of the following societies: Society Tor the Protection of Women, Society for the Health of Women and Children, Women's National Council, Women's Anti-German League, Young AVomen'g Christian Association, Women .Teachers;. Association, Social Investigation League, Women's Christian Temperance Association, Housewives' Union, Kindergarten Union, and the speakers were: Dr. Newman, M.P., Lady Stout, Mrs. M'Conibs, and lira. T(» Fiold. In calling upon Dr. Newman to address .the meeting, Mrs. Houlder, who presided, said that if this Bill whicli was now before Parliament were passed all the work- which her society, tho Women's Christian Temperance Union, had accomplished during, the past years, and all that they had aimed at would bo totally undone. Dr. Newman told his hearers that tho Bill, which had been so suddenly brought befor6 tho House by the Minister of .Public Health, was little else tat the CD. Acts in a hew guise. Ho had been asked to explain the principle points'contained in it, which were of vital importance to the women of this country. If the Bill had been a good one ho would bave been glad to have eupported \it, but not one that was on the lines of the CD. Acts The Bill was very unfair, and in practice would bear most heavily upon women, while it let the men off almost' entirely. Some of the members' in the House thought it a very fine Bill, and intended to go on with it at all hazard. To his mind, and to others, however, it had many grievous fnults. It stated in one of the clauses that all women said to be plying this trade of prostitution can be taken up whether tliey are prostitutes of reputed' prostitutes, or consorting with prostitutes. Such a clause opened the door to great dangers. It was so easy a matter, to sneer away the character of a woman;
so easy, out of sheer spiie, malice, or revenge, to blacken her name for ever under such a provision. It provided tor evidence to be accepted which would not bo legally admissible in a court of law, and opened the door to false accusations against innocent women. It was the women who would be harried under the Bill , if it becamo law, not the men. Another objectionable clause, Dr. Newman considered, was that women, brought up before a Magistrate would be sent to a prison hospital, subjected to imprisonment, and practically treated as criminals. When tried before the Magistrate alLsorts of evidence (not admissible in' a~ cour.t of law) would bo accepted and acted upon, and they be kept in detention until the authorities saw fit to let them out. To put women into gaol (for that was what it was) under conditions of that kind, was most- unfair. Everyono in their neighbourhood would very 'quickly-learn what had befallen tliem, it could not be hidden, and the stigma that attached itself to thpnv would never .be got rid of. It had to bo remembered also that women sometimes got tliese diseases innocently. Under the Bill tho Minister proposed to appoint patrols, both 'men and women. He thought that women should be token up by women only and not by men. Sonto policemen were not altogether angels, and this power of apprehonding women merely upon suspicion could bo made a weapon for blackmail and for tortme. In Lngland, under the C.D. Acts (when tlu-y were in force), girls and women would pay anything, and go on paying anything, to avoid being taken up, and thero wcro very many cases of suicide through their being wronglv accused. It was that which led largely to the repeal of the Acts. No roan should bo allowed to arrest women. Women patrols should bo chosen very wisely, when they could do luuen good, not so much by power of arrest, but by stopping women and girls who were on the down grade. He took very strong exception to the fact that by this Bill "nb action shall lie against any person for anything done in good failli, and with ' reasonable care in pursuance or intended pursuance of this Act, etc. Such conditions opened the door to the most serious abuses, for everyone know the great amount of gossip, of tittletattle, and of slandering that went on. By means of this Bill enormous powers were given to the Minister, to which the strongest exception must be taken. The Bill talked of "persons," of "equal responsibilities," but :n actual practice it had always been found that women only were made the culprits.. For every one 1 man who was brought to book thero "would be ninety-nine women. It was a "rotten
bad Bill," with very few good points about it. In conclusion, Dr. Newman urged strongly that tho women of this country 6hould get tho Bill held over till next year, and in the meantime make their aiins known, confer together, and draw up a rough draft of one with the objectionable features withdrawn. Choose women patrols wisely, and with time and carefnl deliberation, adequate means for dealing with these evils could surely be devised. Ho considered that thero would be so much notoriety attached to sufferers by this Bill lliat instead of going to - doctors, wlio will be very busy people, they would go to chemists and get all sorts of unsuitable remedies. There had been a great amount of exaggeration in the statements made by the Minister in connection wiih those troubles-, and the -wildest statements made. The diseases were curable if people would go to the doctors in tho early stages, secure proper treatment, and lead decent lives. Tt was not wise to turn down all legislation, but by wigo legislation anfi gaining the interest and co-operation of the whole of the country much could be done to stamp out these diseases. Mrs. T. Field (of Nelson) spoke of the worlc which had been done in England by a Royal Commission, composed of tho most eminent people in Britain, with power to call upon everyono whom thev chose to give evidence in the matter of these evils. This Commission had had over SO sittings, and in the foundation of their report. issued about, eighteen months ago, was a complete opposition to all forms of compulsion. We, in this young country, Mrs. Fiold contended, ought to pay some attention to the findings of these eminent people. The Minister for Public Health had that evidence and-flint report, and she was greatly astonished that he should bring down a Bill so opposed to all its conolusions. Another result of Mr. Russell's Bill would be to drive the evils underground. People would not face the publioity of going for six months or more into a prison hospital. Treatment} must be free, and confidential. ■ Tliey wanted treatment that would lessen the evil, not increase it, as would be the case under these conditions. AH attempts at compulsion had failed in tho past, and only education, knowledge, the raising of ideals, could meet the need, together with teaching ' the young the siicrednoss of the body so that they would not misuse its powers, Jlrs. M'Combs said that sho was struck by the absence in the Bill brought down by the Minister of all provision for educutional work in connection with theso social evils. She could not but | i'eol that the great remedy in the long run was to be found in education. Mrs. M'Com.bs then gave an outlino of tho work done' in combating these diseases iu Christchnrch by tho ' Christchuroli Women's Social Hygienic Society. The following, resolutions were passed: (1) "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 tho country for the efficient, free, and confidential treatment of veuereal diseases without penal or deterrent conditions, and nrges tho noncompulsory principle for treatment shall bo observed in all cases, no attempt being made to enforce treatment, isolation or detention on any pauper, prisoner, or any other person suffering from yenorcal disease." (2) "That this meeting wishes to endorse the opinion of the British Royal Commission that if venereal diseases aro 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." Dr. Edith Huntly considered that there were good points about the Bill, and enumerated them. She would, however, support Dr. Newman's proposal to put off the Bill bo that tho people of the country, also the members of Parliament, could consider the matter involved witli time for careful thinking.
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Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 11, 8 October 1917, Page 3
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1,488SOCIAL HYGIENE BILL Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 11, 8 October 1917, Page 3
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