laying themselves open to grave reproach. It is probable, as one of the
witnesses remarked, that "nothing they could do for their children's
happiness in life would be of equal value to the outlook which they
might give to their children upon this matter. Apart from any
possibility of moral ruin or disease, such an outlook would colour the
whole mature life of their children in respect to what is probably the
foundation of the greatest human happiness--namely, home relationship."

The Committee recommend that the Department of Health be asked to
prepare a suitable pamphlet to assist those parents who desire to
instruct their boys and girls on this subject. It is also suggested that
where parents feel themselves unable to undertake the necessary
instruction, the family doctor should be asked to talk to the boys.
Instruction to the girls should certainly come from the mother, but
failing this a little wise counsel and advice from a woman doctor should
be secured.

In regard to the teaching of sex hygiene in schools some interesting
evidence was given to the Committee by Mr. Caughley, Director of
Education, Mr. T.R. Cresswell, Principal of the Wellington College
(speaking on behalf of the Secondary Schools Association), and by some
of the women doctors and others who were good enough to attend as
witnesses.

Mr. Caughley stresses the point that it is not mere knowledge of
physiology that will meet the case. He considers that the most important
thing of all is to establish in the minds of the children noble ideals
with regard to infanthood and motherhood. Lessons in connection with the
care of all birds and animals for their young, with the love and
devotion of parents for their young, with all that is beautiful and
tender connected with the homes of animals and birds, would establish a
kind of reverence about everything that is connected with birth. He
deprecates mechanical, systematic, and consecutive instruction in the
mere facts of sex hygiene, for even the fullest knowledge on this
subject is known to have very little deterrent effect in the temptations
of life. He would rather aim at creating the right atmosphere in a
school, such as would make any coarse or unworthy mention of any of
these matters in the hearing of a child appear more or less repulsive,
and would in general enable him to put in its proper setting any
knowledge that might come to him from various sources.

Mr. Cresswell gave the Committee an extr