MAORIS AS HEALTH INSPECTORS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1867, 29 September 1913, Page 4

MAORIS AS HEALTH INSPECTORS.

DR. RANGIHIROA'THANKED. Dr< -Rarigihirba, who had returned from the North on the previous evening, suggested; to the Hon. R. H. Rhodes • that Maoris might with advanr tago Be employed as health inspectors, f. In tho. case of Europoan. inspectors thero was always tho lahguago diffi- ■; culty, and in many caso3 Maoris would ; be more useful for work amongst their own people. Maoris had rendered him invaluable assistance, ho said, in his !■ iecent work in .the districts visited by i the smallpox epidemic. He wished to place on reeortf his debt of obligation ; to them, and to suggest to tho Slinis-r-tor the advisability of appointing soma I prominent Maoris in tho different dis-' i tricts' as inspectors.' I Mr. Rhodes' -said that ho would be : glad to consider tho suggestion. Ho i wished also to commend tho work that ; the honourable gentleman himself had ! done in tho North. A proposal. was ; oominfr from Wanganui, he understood, | that-the Maori councils should pay one- ■ half the salaries of inspectors,' tho • Health Department paying the other 'j half. Ho would be glad to favourably : consider a suggestion of that'naturo. i Sir Joseph Ward congratulated Dr. -Rangihiroa on tho work he had done i during the last few and tho i, Minister said that he appreciated what ' Dr. Rangihiroa had done, and was sure ' tho whole country did so. The Health ' Department was very much indebted to ; liim for the good service ho had rendered. . ' A Confidential Report. The Mines" clause was disposed of in i twenty minutes, most of that time be-ing-spent by Mr., Russell and other members in questioning the Hon. W. i Fraspr about a'confidential report ho ; had from the Publio Service ; Commissioners , regarding his Depart-' : ment. . Mr. Frasor stated that tho r&y

port dealt* with the staff and with the staff only, not in any way with the Department as a trading concern. STATE FIRE INSURANCES. POSITION. OF . THE DEPARTMENT. When the State Fire InsuranCo Office accotliit came up for consideration, Mr. Wilford: asked liow nuioh business had been lost to tho offico by reason of tho Government no longer insisting that borrowers from tho Advances Department should insure in tho Stato Office. The Hon. Fi M. B. Fisher said that less business ' had been dono between tho Stato Firo Office and t'he Advances Offico, but tho State Firo Offico was, nevertheless, in a bettor position this yoar than it was in last year, which was a record vear. ' Mr. Wilford: That is nob tho question. Mr. Fisher: It may not bo precisely tho answer the honourable gentleman wants, but it is the one I choose to give. In answor to Mr. Witty, the Minister said that tho policy of the Government was that persons who raised loans from tho Stato Advances Office should be at liberty to insure with any reputable company. Under a system of rewarding the staff by bonuses, however, increased business had been. dono. In addition to that public contractors were now required to insure with the Stato office. As a result the State Firo Insurance office was more prosperous than It had been before. Ho supposed that £600 would cover tho loss of business with tho Advances Offico. ' Dotting Returns. Sir. Wilford said'that he had tried in vain ;to got this information by way of a return. He asserted that ho had contrived to got one return by going out and getting Mr. Seddon to movo for it oh his behalf. If he had remained in. his place,- ho declared, the Prime Minister would not have allowed him tj movo for the return. Tho Prime Minister ridiculed tho suggestion, and said that the gontloman'B absence had nothing at all to do with it. His practice was to got his secretary to ring up headß of Departments and ask ■ .them . whether returns could bo obtained. If they were available ho assented to tho members interested moving for them. •Sir Joseph Ward: When I used to tell, the honourablo gentloman that ho ÜBed to perform a fandango. Ho suggested thai-Mr; Massey should take back all that he had said during the past fifteen j'ears about returns being refused. Mr. Fisher characterised as a figment of the imagination a suggestion by Sir Joseph Ward that the loss to tho State Fire Office as a result of borrowers from the Advances Department not being compelled to insure with . the State might amount to £5000 or £10,000 a year. Tho total amount of business done, the Minister pointed out, was better than, in the previous year. The account was passed at 4.20 a.m. 1 ; State Advances. The Stato Advances Account was discussed for an hour and a half. Mr. G. Witty moved to reduco an item/by £1 as an indication that the Government had not provided enough money for advances. The Prime Minister said that Mr. Witty's statement was grossly unfair. During tho last'two months, the State had disbursed in advances to settlers and workers ho less than £244,570. Some discussion took place between Sir Joseph Ward and tho Minister of Finance. The member for Awarua stigmatised as misleading and unfair iv statement,by .Mr. Allen that when ho came into office he found' only £32,000 ii>, hand, wjth,,which to. keep ad/anoss going,'whereas.liis''successor, if he went out of office that day, would mid £700,000 available.. , ' v. Mr. Witty said that the Government, would have dono bettor to raise the limit of advances to workers from £100 ►to £450 than it had done in raising the limit of advances to settlers from £(100 to, £750. ,It would have boon Bevter. ho said, tomorrow at five per. coin, una' over-than'to let settlers pay 8 or JO per cent. \ Mr. C. A. Wilkinson Baid that tho country would soon find its credit seriously impaired if it borrowed a'v five per cent, or over. Ho pointed out that Sir Joseph Ward, in tho Budget of ISO 3, stated that he proposed to limit borrow-, ing for the Advances Department;, ; Sir Joseph Ward said that in 1908 gis-opinion had been that''£6,ooo,ooo wouldbe sufficient for the Advances Department.' Ho had changed his. opinion, and had been responsible for borrowing beyond that amount. Ho was proud of having added tho Workers' Department to, tho general schom?.

Mr. Frasor said tha-fc some of the later loans- had gone in' advances of £60,000 or £80!000 to one local body. Mr. C. K. Wilson deolared that a man'who lifeld that the amount lent to settlers should be reduced In order to pay on additional £50 on o worker's home was a traitor to his country.

Mr.' Witty's! amendment was nO4l- - on the voices at 5.55 a.m., ai'd progress haying been "reported, the .Eouse .rose two minutes later..