THE MIDWIFE'S ACT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8537, 18 September 1907, Page 5

THE MIDWIFE'S ACT.

* PROSECUTION AT EKETAHUNA. At the Magistrate's Cour*-, Eketahuna, yesterday, before Mr W. P. ■j James, S.M., the : first prosecution - ipstitJted in the district under the Midwife's Act, 1904, came on for hearing. Susan Le Grove, of Nireaha, was charged with having acted as midwife on two occasions, not having been registered under the Act. Mr B. J. Dolan, who appeared for the prosecution, stated that the informations had been laid at the instance of the Inspector-General of Hospitals. The Act made it compulsory for everyone practising as a midwife to be registered and to have her name gazetted in of each year. Counsel added that the Department did not press for a heavy penalty, but would urge that the defendant should make a substantial contriution towards the costs of the prosecution. Mr J. Prendeville, for the defendant, pleaded guilty. Counsel stated that his client had acted under a mi:apprehension. He produced several certificates from medical practitioners in the district showing that the defendant was weir qualified in obstetric duties. The Magistrate said that the Act; must be enforced for disciplinaiy ' purposes, and that it was highly necessary that there should be such control as the Act aimed at. He added that a recent case at Pahiatua had strongly impressed him with the necessity for enforcing the Act. On the first information defendant would be fined Is with £2 18s costs. On the second a conviction only would be entered, and defendant would be ordered to pay £2 15s costs. Considerable sympathy was expressed for the position of the defendant, and a considerable sum was raised in a very short time in the precincts of the Court towards meetcosts to which she was put in thsrmatter.