The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-12-06
CITY LEADERS
ATTACK Law
Ban ON BIRTH
Doctor and Judge Doubt
Justice of Control Order.
by Court.
WOMEN SEE FAIRNESS
Young Couples Should Be
Educated in Problems
of Life, They Say.
WOMEN SEE FAIRNESS


The couple faced the judge seek
ing divorce. Evidence showed they
were married in 1923, when Kourim
was %, his wife II. They have three
children.
1T is shame they were not
given lessons in birth control when
their first child was born" remarked
Judge Ewing, in imposing the con-
troll sentence.
While those interested in the sci
entific aspect of the problem diff
fered with the judge, at least two
Indianapolis club women approved
the action, with reservations.
City People Give Opinions
FRANK j. LAIR, Juvenile Judge
AS far as have been able to
learn, there is no science of birth
control. I have heard people talk
about it, but there seems to be no
formula. Books tell you to see a
doctor, and the doctor will tell you
there is no rule or definite plan to
be followed.
! I do not see how a court can i'm
pose such a sentence on any one.
It is a mighty delicate thing for a
court to tell people they can not
have children. / don't believe any
Indiana court ever thought of such
a thing. Sometimes we have to tell
people we think they have enough
children when it is evident that
more children will place the fam
lilies and the children in more severe
straits.
Again, I say it is a delicate sub
ject-far too delicate for courts to
be issuing orders.
DR.. FREDERICK E.. JACKSON,
City Health Board PRESIDENT
think a man is unwise to get mar
ried on a $24 week salary at the
age of %. One can't do that in
this age. 1t night be all right after
Hoover comes back from South
America and we have prosperity
Such a sentence can not be
enforced.
Can't Be Controlled
eff they are married they will and
have right to do as they please.
If they are not married, they'll do
as they please anyhow. You can't
hardle such things that way.
ut is true that there is no 100
per cent method. Some European
countries are using plan which
is fairly satisfactory. think 1t is
illegal openly to teach birth control
in this country. Several persons
have been prohibited from speak
ing on the subject"
DIR. HERMAN G. MORGAN, City
Health Off1cer-I do not know as
to the legality of such sentence.
But personally I think the time is
not far distant when birth control
will be more widely advocated than
at present"
MRS. WILLIAM H. LEWIS, Vice
chairman Department of the Amer
ican Home, Woman'S Department
Club, 2427 N. Talbot Avenue-Yes,
believe it was the right thing to do.
They should not have been allowed
to get married in the first place,
when they were so young, in view of
the fact that the boy was not earn
ing much and that neither had a
high school education or any prep
aration for marriage.
Is Against Divorce
"But since they are married, it
would not be right for them to be
divorced and thus throw those chill
dren out of a home into the world
When they were before the court
at the time the first child was a
year old, believe the court or some
one competent appointed by the
court should have given them les
sons in birth control. I believe all
young people should have thorough
understanding of such problems be-
fore they are married"
MRS. WILLIAM G. BORCHER-
DING, Chairman of the Department
of the American Home, Woman's
Department Club, 5265 Washington
Boulevard - Considering the case
from all angles, believe the judge
was right in not granting a divorce
He kept the home together for the
sake of the children. 1t is hard to
say If he was right in debating birth
control to them, but do think they
should have been thoroughly edu-
Gated in this phase of life.
There should be more education
along this line. I feel sorry for the
girl In most cases when a divorce
occurs it falls to the wife to care
for the children, SO am glad he
did not grant divorce. I am sorry
there are not more Christian homes
with good, mothers, so that children
would not have experiences such as
this"
The Rev. F. A. Hayward, execu-
tive secretary, Federated Baptist
Churches of indianapolis The
Judge technically was right in thi;
particulc- case. We constantly are
faced with social service cases here
in indianapolis which convinces u:
that if someone only would teach
some of these people some Of thu
things they ought to know, at the
proper time. they would be saved
lots Of trouble.
"Of course, do not want to bt
understood as always favoring birth
control. Each case has its owr
peculiar solution, but it seems to mt
that in this case the judge did wha
should have been done.