KISSING HABIT ATTACKED.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1944, 25 February 1919, Page 3

KISSING HABIT ATTACKED.

Sydney. Feb. S. .Parsons rise up from time to time in this country and denounce the practice of hissing. They seem to have reason and common-sense on (heir side, bn I they amuse nothing more than a broad smile and a universal chuckle. If anyone wants I o know if d is possible to stop the praeliee, lie ought to visit the Sydney parks and beaches on these soil summer evenings.

Decently a conference of health inspectors in Sydney quite seriously discussed the proposal that kissing be made an offence under the law. At first there seemed a possibility that the proposal would be supported, Iml a growing chorus of jeers from all directions finally caused the conference to abandon the idea in disorder.

But the outbreak of influenza, and the adoption of musics and oilier mcl bods of intercepting germs, have brought the matter into prominence. again, and a Presbyterian minister in Victoria lias returned to the attack. Kissing, he said, was not only extremely foolish, but was decidedly unhealthy, and well merited the severest strictures of the highest medical authorities. It was simply shocking that babies and children should be made the recopladcs for all kinds of germs by reason of the prevailing fashion. He confessed that ’when he saw people indulging in promiscuous kissing it produced in him a feeling almost akin to nausea, lie felt that, for the welfare of the community, the practice should be rigorously suppressed. It young people of opposite sexes found it necessary to kiss each-other/lei (hem do it on sanitary linos, and use sterilised, germproof gauze. He urged Ids congregation to strictly abstain from kissing in any circumstances, and thus minimise the risk of infection.

The reverend gentleman caused a good deal of comment, not all hostile. But the average Australian wants to know —how would he proceed to stop kissing?