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Highly interesting conferences are oceeding this week on a subject hich whilst it must be discussed th a certain degree of reserve, is vertheless of such paramount pub- importance that it cannot be en- ely left to the experts who are ly concerned in dealing with it. refer to the visit of the Commis- on Venereal Diseases which be- a series of meetings yesterday will continue them to the end of week. The delegates are men and men of the highest technical know- ze and of approved experience. ey have visited other eastern ms and whilst they may not per- bs be expected to have that inti te knowledge of the subject as rds the east which can only come r long years of residence, they hot be regarded as other than y qualified men and women seri- y attempting to combat a disease this now, as it has been for atless generations, a scourge all the world. When the records of sickness are examined and due ght is given to the disastrous and espread effects of its propagation chief wonder of the layman is after the thousands of years of within human reckoning there ald exist to-day a single descend- of former generations free from taint of the illness. That how- is hardly a point capable of satis bry argument and in any case it of material to the present issue, this, what can be done now to , and eventually to abolish, the effects of this contagion
Fortu-
ly public opinion-bowever it be divided as to the exact me- best adapted for carrying out mutual end in view, namely the tion of the trouble-has recogniz- hat any sense of false modesty ld be abandoned in the face of ravity of the problem, and it is fore far easier to get at grips the subject than would have the case twenty, or even ten,
ago.
Commission has drawn up a amme of a series of meetings
extremely practical way.
It ranged to give explanations and nstrations to various sections le community, particularly suit- the conditions these communil- ave commonly to meet, and lised to show just how those tions can be met and dangers ed and the future prevalence of ease minimised. Additionally are arranging for a number of public meetings which will be He for the setting forth of those Arguments which can be ex- to have a more general effect public.
-nain thing is a arouse a healthy general public opin-
the
reason-
pro.
in upon the subject to foster such disapproval of all conditions and cir.i cumstances tending to encourage prostitution or the use of the opportu nities of prostitution, as will in course of time help towards the in- dividual discouragement of all such practices, for it is in the general pub- lic disapproval as expressed by the individual viewpoint, that there lies the most obvious road to safety and ultimate diminution, if not total elimination, of the danger, Public opinion, working mainly through education, better living conditions, better opportunities for able recreation and gressive Icading of people to- wards higher ideals, has eliminated! from our own people at Home the ccmmonplace of drunkenness, which in former times was a habit so univer- sal as to meet with no general dis- approbation. Along the same road the present movement must progress, and knowing, as we do, that there are already sharply defined schools of opinion on this matter, we wish to express the hope that the Commis- sion, which is doing such valuable work, will make no endeavour to stultify that work by the propaga- tior of extreme views which cannot prove acceptable to many thoughtful and experienced people here. Coming as it does under direct Government patronage this danger perhaps hardly arises, for no Commission, recogniz- ing the facilities given it by the Gov- enment and the countenance extend- ed to it, would be so foolish or un- grateful as to carry on any campaign in a manner which could in the slight- est degree embarass its hosts-the Government of this Colony. Whilst however we may feel certain this correctness of attitude will be scru- pulously observed by the Commission itself, we feel that there may be ex- tremists locally who may wish to take advantage of the occasion to propa- gate that ill-feeling which will in- evitably be aroused if methods of a "drastic" kind are openly urged. It is too early yet to say what perman- ent benefit, if any, has been obtained from the previous action by certaini committees in this town, but until sufficient time has elapsed for a care- ful technical examination of those results to be made it would be highly injudicious to carry an extremist policy to further lengths. The Com- mission will have public approval and support in every reasonable sug- gestion as to instruction, ameliora- tion and the creation of a sound public | view, and we hope its supporters will keep this clearly in mind throughout the present admirable series of meet- ¡irg
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