ILLEGITIMACY STATISTICS

Taranaki Daily News, 2 November 1917, Page 3

ILLEGITIMACY STATISTICS

STARTLING EIGURES. Wellington, Yesterday. During his address at the meeting of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children the Hoil. G. W. Russell Minister of Internal Affairs roj ferred to the statistics .of illegitimacy. Taking the four years—l9l2, 1913, 191*4, and 1915—n0 fewer than 2071 illegitimate children were born to mothers of 21 years and under. In the year 1012 there were four children registered to mothers who Were 13 years of age; five to those who were 14 years of . age; twelve to mothers of 15 years of age; thirty-one to mothers of 1(1 years of age; and 71' to mothers of 17 years. In 1913, there were no children born to mothers of 13 years of age, but there were four born to mothers of 14 years; in 1914 there were seven children born to mothers of fourteen years, and seven jn 1915. To mothers of 15 years of age ihere were, born in 1912 a dozen children; in 1913, fourteen; in 1914, seventeen; and 1915, fourteen. To mothers of 10, in 1912, thirty-ono children wero born; in ,1913. thirty-two; ■ in 1914, thirty-eight; in 1915, thirty. To mothers of 17, in 101 there were seventy-one children; in 1913, fifty-four; in 19i4, seventy-three; and in 1915, sixty-two. In the four years named there were four childrenborn to mothers of 13 years of age; 20 to mothers of II years of age; 57 te mothers of 15 years; 131 to mothers ol 16, and 200 to mothers of 17 years. There wero altogether 472 children born to mothers aged 13 to 17 in the four years, and when it was considered that the age of consent in New Zealand was 10. it would be realised what a state of affairs the sad figures he had quoted revealed.