CANCER CAMPAIGN

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 145, 16 December 1929, Page 10

CANCER CAMPAIGN

REPORT TO GRAND COUNCIL

MR. SAMPSON" HANDLEY'S VISIT

Since his return to England, Mr. W. Sampson Handley, senior surgeon to the Middlesex Hospital, and a recognised authority on cancer, has furnished a report to tho Grand Council of the British Empire Cancer Campaign, on "A Visit to Eesearch Centres in tho Southern Hemisphere and Canada." In the preface to his report Mr Sampson Handley says:-<<ln accept ing an invitation to deliver an address on cancer at the Wellington meeting of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association, February, 1929 Mvas influenced by a desire to study the present position of cancer research in tho Southern Dominions and in Canada I waa absent from England five months going out by way of Australia and returning by way of the Pacific, practically without leaving British territory. Everywhere I foVd a warm welcome from colleagues, and my account of the activiteis of tho British" JXinfe Campaign exoited *

"I desire to lay before the Grand Council a brief account of my survey premising that my observations in most o± the cities visited were necessarily hasty and imporfect. I saw enough to convince me that a great field of activity, at present almost untouched remains to be occupied by the cam-

NEW ZEALAND'S SUPPORT.

I shall doscribo in some detail the steps which loa to the formation of the New Zealand branch, the principal definite result of my journey. The subject was introduced into New Zealand % ■?■ «^-Popular address before the British Medical Association. As a result of publicity thus given to the subject 1 received an invitation from the Minister of Health to attend an official conference on the subject of cancer, ana to offer him advice. This conference also was reported in the newspapers. I further gave an interview to one of the leading journals on the cancer question in general. By this time public interest had been aroused and Dr. Elliott, president of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association, was able to arrange an influential civic ineoting at which the jNow Zealand branch was definitely founded and its committee appointed •During my stay in Wellington I received an invitation to a departmental conference on cancer from the Minister or Health, the Hon. J. Stallworthy, whoso courtesy to mo I desire particularly to acknowledge. At the conference there were present tho Minister of Health, his principal medical officers (Dr. Valintine and Dr. Watt), the president of the New Zealand Branch or the British Medical Association (Dr. Elliott), Sir Louis Barnett, Professor Hercus, Dr. William Youne and myself. A report of the conference was subsequently issued to the Press, and served an important secondary purpose in directing public attention to the subject, and in prompting leading articles upon it in the papers. I would here say that the journalism of New Zealand is inspired by high ideals of accuracy and of pubJie service, and that the success of the subsequent meeting was largely due to

CIVIC MEETING AT WELLINGTON.

"I was asked to return for the civic meeting at Wellington on Bth March and cut short my visit to the South Island an order to be present. I append a. report of the meeting (from the 'Evening Post'), at which the branch was definitely founded. Its success was due to the untiring efforts of Dr. Elliott and the Mayor in enlisting support, to the presence of tho Prime Ministor (Sir Joseph Ward), of the Minister of Health ,the Hon A J. Stallworthy), and of the DeputyMayor (Mr. M. Luckie), who occupied the chair in the unavoidable absence *iS£ Mayor\r An initial donation of £1000 from Mrs. T. Dwan was announced. Great enthusiasm was aroused by the reading of a cablegram of encouragement from H.B.H. the Duke of York. I can, .from Observation, assure our president that the memory of Ins visit to New Zealand with H.B H the Duchess of York is affectionately cherished by tho people of the Dominion."

Appended to Mr. Sampson Handley'g statement are reports from the "Evening Post" of his address delivered at the annual meeting of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association; of tho conference on cancer held at the office of the Minister of Health; ana of the public meeting held m the Town Hall, Wellington, at which the New Zealand branch was formed