FOR SICK WORKERS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1150, 10 June 1911, Page 5

FOR SICK WORKERS.

AT THE SANATORIA, THE MINISTER 1 IS HOPEFUL. The Minister for Tourists' Resorts (tho Hon. T. Mackenzie) Teceived a deputation from the Trades and Labour Council yesterday regarding concessions at the Rotorua Sanatorium for sick workers. The Minister said he had been trying for the past two years to devise some scheme ■whereby people who could iiot afford to pay the full rates, but who would be benefited in their sickness by ' tho treatment at tho sanatorium, could bo assisted. The Union Company had agreed to assist, on being approached. Then ho ' thought that the Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards should contribute something towards the cost of reduced charges, for the reason. that unless such aid were given some of the people might become chronic invalids, and possibly become recipients of charitable aid. His idea was that the help should be given without any suggestion of its being in any way humiliating. That help, however, had rnqt .been availed 'of to any'great extent. r H«"nad also : reduced the charges'to''"patients who were members of friendly societies, which meant an expenditure of several hundred pounds a year. The difficulty, however, was to find out the deserving cases. Tho Department had been imposed upon by men who had property. He thought that something might be done by . way of the National Provident Tund Act. He promised to consult Cabinet on the matter. The running of tho sanatoria had been pretty expensive, and there had been such a cry for economy that he was chary of running into any fresh expenditure. However, ho thought he wonld be able to do something in the matter.