The Vaccination Farce

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 87, 15 November 1912, Page 4

The Vaccination Farce

ALARMING INCREASE OF HEALTHY CHILDREN!

A TIP FOR THE ANTI-MILITARISTS

The annual report of the chief health officer, which was recently submitted to the N.Z. Parliament, reveals the astonishing fact that out of a total of *26,324 births during the past year only 1078 were vaccinated 1 The number of exemptions granted was 6754, which leaves the startling total of 18,492 cases liable for prosecution as defaulters under the compulsory clauses of the Public Health Act! As there have been no prosecutions of parents for "failure to vaccinate their children" for over two years, and. as the same Government which is making such frantic efforts to enforce the compulsory clauses of the Defence Act deliberately "winks the other eye" and flouts the compulsory clauses of the Public Health Act, we here have a most- delightful object lesson by those in authority openly encouraging the people in their contempt for the law. The marvel is that whilst the Government openly ignores the prosecution of the 18,492 defaulters who ignore the infamous compulsory vaccination law, so many as 6754 should be silly enough or fool enough to put themselves to the trouble of getting exemption papers filled in and admitting by so doing that their conscientious opinions are in other people's keeping. *"Lyttelten Times," November 6, 1912.