LODGES & DOCTORS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2821, 12 July 1916, Page 8

LODGES & DOCTORS

A CASE FOR THE PUBLIC CHARGE AGAINST MEDICAL MEN OFFICIAL REPLY

Medical moil in Wellington, whose practico has included attendance on members of lodges and their families, have lately been accused of an attempt to exact an unholy toll from friendly societies. Tho naturo of the alleged conspiracy is revealed in tho following remark of the Hon. J. A. Hanan (.Minister in Charge, of Friendly Societies), as reported on April -f last:— i "The charge made was a very serious allegation. 'It was ono that might go further than one would be agreeable to endorse. That was to say, tho doctors who had been having friendly societies' work were, as the result of the conditions arising out of tlie war, trading upon the necessities of those in _ poor circumstances who might require, mcuical attention." A similar sentiment was convoyed by the Hon. G. W. Russell (Minister of Public Health), in a letter of May 11 to executive officers of the British Medical Association. Mr. Jiussell accused tho local doctors of a "deliberate determination to set up a condition of hostility towards friendly societies, antl lo take advantage of conditions arising out of tho -n;ar, which is most regrettable, and is not_Jn accordance with, the high ideals of . Hie profession," and lie concludeit J u?3 homily with this thrcatfiU " 'Some other means of dealing with this matter will havo to be looked for.'" On April 11, Mr. Hanan, in a. tone which was a. kind of comparatively mild tenor to Mr. Russell's basso profundo, said:— "No doubt tho public will say this: that this is not tho time when vindictive feeling should lie manifested." These Ministerial dicta, it is suggested, picture on. one sioo the friendly societies as lambs, and on the other sido the lodge doctors as wolves with fangs whetted for p'itiless havoc in war-time. Medical men are not in tho habit of replying in the Press to every aspersion cast upon them, but in this case they consider the misrepresentation is so meanly unfair and inaccurate that a public exposure of tho injustice is required. Hence their sido of the story, which follows:— Tho Pittance of lbs. •"Critics of the medical profession havo tried to create diversions, and to cover tho main facts under a mass of irrelevance. The plain truth for the public to consider is that for a quarter of a century—while the wayes and standard of living of Now Zealand's people have improved—the annual lodge payment of 15s. for the medical treatment of a member and his family remained stationary; it wns a sweating rate at t.ho outset, and its sweating character became worso from year to year. The lodgo doctors felt that the rate should 'be at least 305., and eventually at the annual meeting of the New Zealand branch of tho British. Medical Association at Auckland in August, 1914, it was resolved to'stipulate for a rate of 30s. throughout tlie country. "The war broke out before the proposed new agreement could be' submitted to the societies for coiiSTtTerauSii, and the projected action—intended to apply to the Dominion as a whole—was deferred.

"A year of tho war conditions compelled lodge doctors to movo for au improvement of the old sweating scale.ln deferonco to the war argument about cost of living, tho Wellington lodge doctors, though hard hit themselves by war prices, had agreed to Tcduco tho rate to 2-l'S. for the period of the war, and six months after, but to continue the old scale of las. for the families of. lodge members, on active service—only three lodges showed'a. disposition to recognise the justice of tho doctors' case, and with these an agreement was eventually arranged on a basis of ills, for tho period of the lvar. Jlr. Russell has stated that other lodges wero willing to go a." far as 205., but they havo not expressed any such willingness in writing to the doctors, who have no official knowledge that those lodges have agreed to any increase on 15s; The doctors have nothing more definite than tho vagnie suggestion of lodge delegates that a rate of 20s. would bo recommended to the societies.

Summary ludgment on the Doctors. "These lodges have taken up the attitude that an annual rate of 21s. is iniquitous and extortionate, but neither they nor (lis two Ministers in sympathy with tlicm, have advanced a single particle of solid evidence to rebut the doctors' claim for an equitable scale. This attitude is tantamount to a contention that the medical men have no exact knowledge of their own cost of livingexpenses which have risen considerably during tho past few years, especially since the beginning of the war.' Everybody is to be a judge of tho doctors' conditions of living and circumstances except tho doctor. Naturally the doctors are not'content with the kind of judgment which seeks to sweep, them out of court by mere assertions and abuse. "They have given deftnito reasons for an increase on the intolerable sweating rate of 155., and they are at once decried as exploiters by a chorus which a Ministerial voice has helped to swell. A Claim of sd. a Week per Family. "It is -right to remind the public about the medical work required for the 15s. With tho exception of operations, confinements, and anaesthetics, it included the medical attendance on a lodgo member and his family (an uveiage of fouf- persons)-during a whole year. li* the Lloyd George system applied to New Zealand, the annual -payment for a family of lour.persons would bo 2Ss. (7s. each). On the basis of 15s. tho medical attendance worked out at an average of B}d. per week (less than Id. per week for each person in the average family of four). On a basis of 215., tho weekly average would bo less than sd. per ivcek (about IJd. per week for each person in the average family of four). And'this is alleged to be "exploitation."

.An increase from id. to l{d. per wee?*, taking the average of lodge natieufca is denounced by Mr. Kussell'as a ''deliberate determination . '. . to take advantage of condition.; arising out of the war'; ;mrl Mr. Hnnan lias suggested tliat tho public might regard the doctors' chum to that extra farthing as an expression of 'vindictive feeling.' "As Colonel Collins remarked in Mr. Russell's' presence on April 11, the weekly rate of about, ftd. per week for a family would bo less than Mm urtco of a packet of cigarettes. It is also less than tho average cost of a. single admission to. a moving-picturo show. Are the Lodges Poverty-stricken? "A previous, paragraph contained the charge—to which Mr. Hanan drow public attention—that lodge doctors were scheming to 'trade, upon tho necessities of those in poor circumstances who might require medical attention.' The sanio Minister, in an address to delegates of friendly societies 011 April 1,1 (a few days after his reference to the charge) remarked:— "'The capital per member of friendly societies in 1911 was .£22 Cs. —much higher than in any other State.' "It is pleasant to liavo this assuranco of the societies satisfactory financial position, but how much of it is due tc tho sweating of lodge doctors? How is it that 1 this country's lodges cannot afford to pay as well as their brethren of other States of tho Empiro? "Is it fair that lodge doctors should bo sweated while the expenditure 011 amusements and various things which can bo correctly termed u 11 necessaries continues 011 tho pro-war scale in Wellington? Indeed, it is stated that this land of expenditure luW increased since tho war began. Mr. Hanan and Huinanitarianisni. "Mr. Ilanan has been fairly described as a humanitarian, and he has prescribed humanitarianism for 'the medical profession, i». this matter; but tbo 'lectors re-

quire no such Ministerial prccept in this dispute. They are content to let tho public judge tlio profession on its record in respect to people in poor circumstances. By t:heir honorary services to the public hospitals and in other ways which they do not seek to advertise, the doctors Uavo done, and are doing, their share of practical huniauitariauisin. They regret ihat a difference on the question of fair payment has degenerated into an imputation of sordid motives, and insinuations igainst their professional conduct. Resignations, and the Sequel. "The local doctors gave the friendly societies ample opportunity to listen 'to reason, but only three lodges wore found willing,! definitely, to increase the payment from the weekly average of 3!d. to fill. "Tho resignations of the lodge doctors were in accordance with a clauso of the old agreement—which provided for three months' notice on either side—and this wiurso was not taken till the lodges, except three, refused to act on the principle of tho 'living wage.' "Tho British Medical Association did not come into this case until, the lodge doctors found that the societies, in tnc aggregate, were unwilling- to ngreo to a fair scale of payment, and were looking to -Ministers of tho Crown to help theiii in their tight for a continuance ot injustice to the medical profession. "Ultimately -the societies tried to introduce doctors from other districts to take the place of local medical men. One came, but he withdrew when the facts were fully explained to him, without the intervention of tho B.M.A. The societies also attempted to boycott the lodge doctors' executive, who were excluded from a published 'approved' list. Members of lodges were warned that accounts of doctors, who were not on that list, would not be recogniscd. "The list was ostensibly withdrawn by advertisement in tho press, but evidence of tho continuance of tho boycott is available. And this is because the doctors are unwilling to work at an inequitable rnto for lodges which can afford 'to raise the average weekly payments from 3J<l. to sd. per an average family of four. "At various .stages of this controversy representatives of lodges have referred to the numbers of members and their families. It seems that they have wished to impress on Ministers tho formidubleness of the societies' voting strength, ,and to warn them that the might of the big battalions must be righ't. The medical profession does not suggest that any Minister has been awed by this flourish of figures, and the pointing of a large index finger at the ballol-box, but the profession does feel that- it has just cause-to complain at tho apparent disposition of Messrs. Russell and Hanau to believe that tiie lodge doctors, in asking for bare justice, have schemed for an exploitation of friendly societies. In his role of peacemaker, Mr. Russell's final attitude is in cifect that the lodge doctors should agree to a certain amount of injustice in order to appease the friendly societies, which have benefited by a quarter of a century of such injustice, and the Minister's statements show "resentment, of the doctors' unwillingness to accept less than sd. a weak for the medical treatment of 'a lodge member and his family."