CONSUMPTIVE SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 100, 21 January 1918, Page 4

CONSUMPTIVE SOLDIERS

HON. G. W. RUSSELL'S PROPOSALS. Id. the courso of a conference with representatives of the North Canterbury, South Canterbury, and Westland Hospital Boards last week tho Hon. G. W. .Russell, Minister of Public Health, referred to proposals which he is planning for the treatment of consumptive soldiers.

Mr. Russell said ho was sorry that the information whieli the Government was getting was that there probably would bo a very large number of coneumptivo soldiers. In many cases the men returned to Now Zealand apparently sound, but developed the disease afterwards. ,Ho proposed to put before Cabinet a proposal to spend £20,000 on tho erection of further sanatoria to deal with soldiers and discharged soldiers. It had not yet been determined where these sanatoria would he. The late Mr. Duncan Rutherford had offered an area of land and a building tbat would provide an udministrativo block, but he had not provided for the matter in his will, and the proposal had fallen to the ground. Mr. Russell also stated that in the meanwhile he proposed to relieve the civilian treatment of consumption by tho concentration of consumptive soldiers and discharged soldiers, under Government control.

Later in tho conference the Minister said he did not want to force any Canterbury men to go away from Christchur'ch, and saw no objection to their remaining there if there was the necessary accommodation. The new soldiers' sanatorium would probably be established by the Government between Paekakariki and Palmerston North. The steps that were being taken were for tho purpose of avoiding congestion at Cashmere. But if there was room in Cashmere for Canterbury soldiers he would lot them stop there and tho board could make the same charge on the Government as they were making on private individuals for maintenance. Tho Waikato, he said, was now used almost wholly fo? soldiers. .