FREE HOSPITAL TREATMENT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 210, 24 May 1918, Page 4

FREE HOSPITAL TREATMENT

FOR SOLDIERS' AVIVES AND CHILDREN. At, the meeting of tho Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board yesterday a confirmatory letter was received from tho Minister of Public ITcallli (Hen. G. AV. Russell) staling that the Department was responsible for tho free treatment of tho wives and children of men on active service. The secretary said that the. point to bo stressed was that it was only the-wives and children of men actually on active service who would be entitled to froe treatment at tho hospital. Mrs. Ailkcn protested strongly against this privilege Jwing extended only to men on active service and not to tho dependants of men in camp. The .Gov. if. van Klavoren thought thnt justice should be dono the wives and children of the men who are undei going training in camp, for a» far as they wcro concerned tho men wore just as much on active service as though Ihey were away. Tho Defence Department should play tho game with these men. He did not refer "to homo service men, Mr. A. J. M'Curdy said thnt mm in I raining were considered as being on ats live service. lint tliore wero a lot of men in soft jobs in tho home service, who Hero not entitled to anv cousidera-. lion. The' chairman (Air. H. Baldwin) said that this was purely a. matter for tinDefence Department. If tlioy would not pay for (he treatment of the wives aim children of tho men in camp it. was not Ihe board's affair. The board could not do the work for nothing. Any suggestion as to an extension «f tho freo treatment privilege had better come from outside. Ho further said that flora wero a great many men on liomt service, and ho did not think thai any member of the board would wish the Defence Department to pay for the hospital treatment of their families.. Alices: No! No! Tlio opinion was again expressed that men in training wcro entitled lo the privilege mentioned. Tho secretary said That he believed that a man was not considered to be on active service until about a week before he sailed- ' He suggested that lie should write to the Public. Health Department, asking it to,define what "active service" meant. That was agreed to J>y the board.