SICK SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3133, 11 July 1917, Page 4

SICK SOLDIERS

SHOULD THEY GET LIQUOR? A. suggestion that it should be made illegal lor any person to supply alcoholic Jiquor to returned soldiers undergoing; hospital treatment was made to 'the Minister of Defence in the House veslerday by Mr. T. M. Wilfonl. '

Mr. Wilfonl n-ied the Minister whether his attention had been drawn to a resolution passed by the Ladies' Committees of the Ked Cross Society in conference recently. There had been a. great deal of discussion about tho harm done by the supplying of liquor to inmates of hospitals, and especially of tho hospital at Itotorna. The Red Cross .Society asked 'that it be made illegal to supply liquor to soldiers in hospital, and to soldiers who were out-patients in hospitals. In England soldiers who were hospital patients had to wear a special dress; .Mr. Wilfonl suggested that in New Zealand hospital patients should l>o Tequircd to wear a hospital uniform which would be easily recognisable. Sir James Allen said that he had not yet received the resolution. The question of how to deal with these men in hospitals, and with other returned soldiers, was a very difficult problem, and it might be necessary to ask the House to pass legislation this session to provide for the setting up of an institution for the treatment of certain men who vera not amenable to control, and who could not control themselves. It was correct that a hospital dress was worn in England, but he had no information whether it was effective or not. "But," he said, "one docs not like to imposo a special dress on soldiers, unless there is some reason for it." (Hear, hear.) Sir James Allen added that the matter of providing a hospital dress for returned soldier patients here would be considered. The problem was most difficult, and the Government had to do the liest possible for the men 'oncerned.