TREATMENT OF "T.B." MEN

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 32, 2 November 1920, Page 8

TREATMENT OF "T. 8." MEN

PETITION FROM CASHMERE

* EVIDENCE BEFORE DEFENCE COMMITTEE

Mr. W. S. Glenn (Bangitikei) yesterday presented to tho House the report of the Defence Committee upon a petition of Thomas DrOmmond and thirty-throe otlior tubercular ex-soldiers in the Oiisnmero Hills Sanatorium. The committee wiis of opinion that the petition should be referred to tho Government for consideration. Tho (petitioners asked that in Jio caso should the Pensions Board compute pensions below the amount recommended by tho specialist examining the patient; that all T.B. men on being discharged from sanatoria should receive a full and supplementary pension for a period twelve months, .and that the l> cnslol !j should be reviewed annually; that all men recognised as tubercular sliioul( at any time during their lives, be entitled to readmission to a sanatorium in tho evoi't of a recurrence of the d.sense that thev should becomo entitled free of charge to all the benefits of the sana?orium treatment, and that they should have a full pension from thodate ct 10 r classification, that the Government should appoint four T.B. wen to the After Care Branch, and that a, T.B man with sanatorium experience should bo appointed to supervise the work of the After Care Branch; that 110 cessation of financial or land grants under the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act should to applicable to T.B. men; that in the event of a recurrence of the disease after a man had been successfully repatriated the Repatriation Department lAould have to provide a competent substitute Scarry on the patient's business while tho patient was detained in a sanatorium: that in the interest of tho public health, discharged tubercular men should be compulsorily examined eveij six months, ancl the expenses of p^ e si ons animation charged to tho 1 ensions B Mi\ Glenn Tead to the House so" l ®,"* the statements that wore made to the., committee in reference to the Excerpts from these statements given below: Official Statements. The Commissioner of I'™ 181 0"* that the suggestion that the War lesions Board took liberties with thbp«ialists' recommendations, .ma B i<i «i "iwious less tuun tnosc recommended, was incorrect. If the reconimendnlion* oi the specialists were tu be accepted U every case, the soldier must be ]>ie--IHri to have a, smaller pension tiiaii that now granted. It was the of the board, acting on medical adi to grant full pensions toi 1- montUo U) all soldiers leaving a sanatorium with T.B. except where nn adverse regarding a mau s habita S treatment prebribed; The board did not recommend that a supplementary pension be ed in every case, and wa» ot opinion tlmt no hardship was occasioned by a>. ; - ing for an individual application, which wnulrl l>a treated on its merits. It uas I'ho practice to have this case rnvimrpd at loast once in wery i-.. months Tho request for full pension from the date of rectification was. understood to mean that full . pensions should be payable to soldiers in. respect of tubercular disease established <|u® to war service, from the date on a hull thev might be readmitted to sanatoria. This was already done ill accordance with the law governing all classes of admission to hospital, and there seemed to be 110 necessity lor any special movision for T.B. cases. With regard to medical examination after discharge, tho Director-General of Medical Services told the committee that if the examinations were made compulsory the returned soldier would suffer under a disability such as a civilian did not experience. When -arrangements existed lor the compulsory treatment of soldieis suffering from V.D. they were very much ««£iited by the B.S.A. on tho ground that tho returned soldier was being treated differently from the civilian. The Director of Repatriation stated that it was not considered that T.B. men could successfully fill positions as officers of the After Cans Branch without impairing their health. Ihero were, however, at present on the stall of" the -Department two ex-r.B. men doing after care work. The Department did not consider it necessary to make any changes in the after care staff at present', but would not hesitate, if the necessity arose, to appoint additional T.B. officers. The Lands Department was doing all in its power to provide suitable land for T.B. men, and 6teps had recently been taken to provide in Canterbury suitable. areas approved of by a chest specialist. There would be no cessation of financial aMistance or land grants under the D.S.S. Act without! ample notice, and when the matter was dealt with the Government would specially consider tlie claims of tubercular or badly 'disabled men. The qiu-si/ion of carrying on. the business of a soldier whoso health broke down was one of the problems realised by the Department) from the commencement. It would obviously lie impossible for t'he Department to keep on hand men capable of running tlie varied businesses that soldiers engaged in, 'bui the Department would bo pleased to make every effort to secure a suitable man to manage a business while tlie soldier was undergoing treatment." It should be noted that tho Department! gnve men who broke down the utmost consideration in the postponement of interest and instalment payments Indeed, the Repatriation Board had power to write off loses incurred by a soldier through misfortune. . Attitude of the House. Several membeTs warmly supported tlio recommendation that tllie Government should consider the requests of the petitioners." Mr. A. S. Malcolm (Clutha) pointed out that the care of tubercular soldiers was a master in which tho community was vitallv interested, because oi the possibility that the tubercular soldier niiglis infect! other persons. .That everything possiblo efhouM be done for uhj 'tubercular men was urged by each of Defence (Sir Heaton Rhodes) observed that nearly all the points raised by the petitioners had been met by the Government. He invited members to bring before his notice any cases which ilhcv did not consider had been properly dealt with by tho Pensions Board. Men had boen discharged from tlie sanatoria cured, and the principal medical officers of the Department took a ve.rv. hopeful view of the possibility of effecting further cures. He would be pleased to presem: to the House next Bossion a return showing the number U 'j'he petition was referred to the Government for consideration. CUSTOMS TARIFF REVISION Jlr. 11. M'Callum (Wairau) yesterday asked tlie Minister of Customs (Sir \\ 11-1 1 iaill Ilerries) whether the Government, while considering the revision oi the Customs tariff, would give tho Advisory Committee of the British Agents Association an opportunity of expressing its views. I Mr. M'CWtum suggested that such opportunity should be given " tho committee undertook that its suggestions would have the effect of preventing exploitation of the consumer, and would not be in the direction of reducing _t.no amount of the Customs revenue required bv the Minister of Finance. 'Sir William Hcrries replied that the proposal would hove due consideration. MEMBERS' QUESTIONS Mr. Luke (Wellington North) has asked I lie Minister of Railways whether the Government will state for public information how far negotiations liavo progrc«sed between the Government, and the Wellington Ifnrbour Hoard in reference to the proposed now railway station for Wellington. Mr. Powdrell (Palea) has asked the Minister of Industries and Commerce whethor in view of the great amount of profiteering now taking place nil over New Zenland, he will consider the compulsory marking of the cost of all. goods in plain figures at the time of their previous purchase, and prescribe a heavy penalty for non-com plianco.