V.D. MENACE

Grey River Argus, 1 June 1943, Page 6

V.D. MENACE

In Australia

STATE HEALTH MINISTERS TO CONFER.

SYDNEY, May 31. Stricter control over the conduct T young people in public places and severe restrictions on the sale of alcohol to women, are among recommendations made by the Australian National Health Council, as part of a Commonwealth campaign to combat venereal disease. Other recommendations will be submitted to a further conference of State Health Ministers. These _ include consideration bv the authorities of biological instruction in secondary schools and education to secure voluntary premarital examinations The Federal Minister of Health (Mr. HoUowav) admitted that £25,000 voted by the Commonwealth Government to launch a campaign against venereal disease was totally inadequate for the task. The New South Wales Government has supplemented its State’s share of the Federal grant by a further allotment of £5OOO. Other matters discussed by the conference included the submission that smoking bv young women was lowering Australia’s national health standards and should be restricted. While no recommendation was made, the consensus of opinion was that smoking was harmful. The conference urged that! special attention to better and cheaper housing must form a big part of nost-war planning, and declared that domestic electrical appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines should be an integral part of such housing.