SIR JOSEPH WARD

Evening Star, Issue 20136, 28 March 1929, Page 2

SIR JOSEPH WARD

PRIME MINISTER’S BUSY DAY VISIT TO FLOOD AREAS Tho Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) yesterday .spent a very busy day in Dunedin. Soon after his arrival by train from Invercargill in the morning} Sir Joseph met a deputation, and all the afternoon he was similarly engaged, with the exception of an hour, when he paid a visit to the Hooded areas of the north end of the town in company with the deputy-mayor (Mr J. S. Douglas) and others interested. Sir Joseph intimated that he would pay another visit to Dunedin next month. “ 1 will stay here for a week on the next occasion, 5 ’ ho said, “as 1 think it is my duty to stay here for a week to find out what the requirements of the people are.’’ Since he had assumed office, Sir Joseph pointed out, he had found it necessary to stay most of Jus time in Wellington, and"would have to do so for somo little time yet.

HOSPITAL HEEDS o INCREASED GRANT SOUGHT radium Subsidy doubled for YEAR. ’A deputation from the Hospital Board and Hie University Council waited on the Crime Minister to put certain claims before him.

Mr W. E. S. Knight (eh airman of tiie Hospital Board), alter extending a welcome to Sir Joseph, said there were several matters of very grave importance winch they wished* to bring before his notice. For a number of years a claim had been made for a special grant for the Dunedin Hospital owing to the attachment of the Medical School. The Royal Commission which had dealt with hospitals' had reported favourably iu regard fo the matter. It was not suggested that the departments or the equipment of the Dunedin Hospital were very much different from those of other base hospitals, ft had been recognised, however, that where there was a medical school attached to a hospital in other parts of the world the cost was increased by something like ten shillings per occupied bed per week. As the population here was limited, and as the capital rateable value, was low—several smaller hospital districts had a greater rateable value than Otago—the cost bore very hardly upon Dunedin. There was no desire to increase the present hospital rate. There was every possibility, however, if a_ number of matters under consideration were given effect to that the hospital rate would_ he increased considerably. The position was a serious one as far ns Otago was concerned, and it was trusted an increased subsidy or a. special grant would be made on* account of the attachment of the Medical School.

Mr AY. J. Morrell (Vice-Chancel-lor of Otago University) said the University Council was concerned with the request that had been made for the establishment ■of a maternity hospital. That was a dominion-wide demand. It was backed by the medical profession. l\v the women of the country, and by the weighty pronouncement of experts who had visited New Zealand, and it had the support of enlightened public opinion. It was not a party question, d’he health and happiness of human beings was, after all, the best form of the country's wealth. Jt was generally recognised that even more careful consideration should be given to the higher training of medical practitioners in midwifery. The. University Council had not been behind in the matter, and had established a chair of midwifery, the teaching being extended and organised accordingly. The council, however, felt that the establishment of a modern and efficient maternity hospital was an urgent necessity. It might .be established in connection with the Medical School, recognised as a national school. The St. Helens Hospital had done good work, but it was recognised that something more modern and better equipped was needed. The council wished to press upojj the Prime Minister with the utmost urgency the need for such a hospital. In regard to the position outlined by ifr Knight, he would like to say that the University Council sympathised with the Otago Hospital Board. It was recognised that the existence of the Medical School, in conjunction with the hospital, imposed additional demands upon the Hospital Board and upon the ratepayers of the district.

Sir Lindo Ferguson, who also stressed the need of the establishment of a maternity hospital, said the difficulties had been increased by the requirements of the General Medical Council. Part of the training provided for residence at a maternity hospital, but there was no provision for that in New Zealand at present. The position was that they could not at present comply with the regulations of the General Medical Council at Home. To efficiently maintain the Medical School they should bo at least able to comply with the minimum requirements. The. position was that, until, they had a maternity hospital, which would cost perhaps £50,000, they could nob comply with requirements.

Dr W. Newlands asked that the subsidy on moneys collected for the purchase of radium he increased from 10s for £1 to £ for £. Dunedin, he pointed out, was the first to establish a radium centre in New Zealand, though tho three other centres were now ahead of Dunedin. Christchurch had three times as much, Wellington four times ns much, and Auckland about twice as much. They were here now on the eve of getting a fairly large supply for tho purposes of the Medical School and the public, and it was hoped to collect sufficient to buy £IO,OOO to £12,000 worth of radium, plus the equipment. The Savings Bank had offered £I,OOO, and they intended to go to the public to raise as much as they could. They would like, if it were possible, to receive a £ for £ subsidy, which was at one time payable instead of the reduced amount.

Sir Joseph, in. reply, thanked the deputation for their kindly welcome. Dealing first with the last matter pnt before him, ho said he would give definite instructions to increase the radium subsidy for . twelve months by doubling it. He knew the importance of the treatment, and he knew that the people had responded with donations on former occasions. The increase of the subsidy would apply to all districts.

On the larger question of the hospital in. Dunedin ho wanted to be perfectly frank. He could not promise anything olf-hand, but lie would undertake on his return to Wellington to to go into the general question with the Minister of Health. He had to consider the whole financial position

of the country, and if it were found necessary to make reductions the hospitals of the country would be a branch from which he would not willingly make any reductions. Ho had to deal with the maximum amounts the country was able to provide. There were calls for many purposes, hut this was a most humane one. To some extent he thought the votes for various purposes would have to he limited as compared with the last year or two. That was likely to he so from causes entirely beyond his control. Provision for hospitals had never been regarded as a party question, and he hoped it never would be. Though other places had done lino work, .Dunedin was recognised as a place where wonderful work had been done on behalf of medicine. Ho was sympathetically disposed towards their requests, hut could not give them an assurance which could not lie given effect to. He would bring the matters before his colleagues, and he would do his best, while doing what was right for the country as a whole, to see if help could be given in the way they had asked. (Applause.)

FORT CHALMERS LINE IMPROVED SERVICE URGED MOTOR L'O.MPKTTTIO.V WITH RAILWAYS. A deputation from the Otago Expansion League, introduced by Sir Charles Statham, brought before the Prime .Minister some complaints in connection with the railway service between Dunedin and Port Chalmers. The President of the Expansion League (Mr S. B. Macdonald) said they wanted to bring up the question of the duplication of the lino as far as Sawyers Hay. They noticed that the Prime Minister had pronounced against further extension of the straightening and duplication of the Port Chalmers line from the point to which it had already been authorised at St. Leonards, Sir Joseph’s objection being that lie was not in favour of any extensions of short lines, fit this case they were not asking for the extension of a short line, but of a main line.

Mr G. Erriugton, chairman of the Railways Committee of the league, said there was a time when the Port Chalmers lino was one of the most profitable in the dominion. During the war cuts had been made—more than on any other line in the dominion. The residents were now suffering under great disabilities. The places on the line should he railways suburbs, because, owing to the nature of the road, it was not likely they would have motor competition if the railways were kept up to the malic. ’The ideal would be electric trains for suburban lines, but in the meantime he suggested that_ they should try out petrol-driven carriages. Owing to the dissatisfaction with the service people were leaving the suburbs and coming into the city. Mr T. Anderson (Mayor of Port Chalmers) pointed out that many trains on the line did not run np to time, with the result that many people were seriously inconvenienced. The speaker quoted figures to show that the outward traffic for the year ending Alarch 31. 1925. brought in a revenue of £27,,381, and the inward traffic to the Port amounted to a revenue of £15.500, or £43,000 in all. Employers in Dunedin were complaining that their employees coming by the trains were often delayed.

Air J. Al. Fraser (Afnyor of AVost Harbour) also complained that the district was losing residents through the erratic running of the trains. He said that if the line were not completed to fer.wyirs Bay it seemed that a largo amount of money would have been thrown away.

Mr H. F. Moller (chairman of the Harbour Board) said that one of the conditions under which the Government had sold the wharves at Port Chalmers to the hoard was that cargo from tho steamers should he lauded in the trucks. The West Harbour district, whore he, had resided for many years, had been seriously affected by the erratic running of the trains, and employers in Dunedin were not anxious ns a result to take young people into their factories. The board had purchased the wharves at Port Chalmers for £IO,OOO, and they had to place tho cargoes into trucks; and unless the lino was ultimately duplicated to Port Chalmers tho traffic on it was going, to he affected. With the full duplication special goods trains could be run without interfering with the passenger traffic. Tt was a curse running goods trains in conjunction with passenger traffic. So far ns the Harbour Board was concerned. it would like the line to ho durdicatcd right through. Sir Joseph Ward, in reply, said he wanted to remove a misapprehension or a misconception regarding his attitude lo the line. The thought that was in Ids mind when he made his remarks was not in connection wth tho miming of the trains on any portion of the Hue. Ho had been asked to make provision for unemployment, and he had authorised work for fifty men away from Dunedin. Those men did not accept the work away from Dunedin for reasons of their own. P, was then suggested to him that those men should be employed on t;ie duplicirim of ilm Port Chalmers line. No complaint had been made about the passenger service or any of the other matters placed before him by the deputation. Ho had declined to employ the' men on the work because be did not think it would be a payable proposition. Sir Joseph went on to say that ho would certainly ask the Minister of Railways.to look into the matters put before him, and have them investigated. They did not want to inconvenience anyone on the railways. Ho did not want to prevent people living in tile suburbs. As for the suggestion regarding petrol-driven engines, ho had experience of these vehicles in France, and he thought it was unlikely that they would introduce- them into New Zealand. He had gone to Franco purposely t-o look into their running on behalf of Invercargill, where at that time he owned the trams. He thought they would stick to steam and coal’in the. meantime. They wanted to help their coal mines as much as possible because of the employment thev gave. As regarded the electrification of their lines, the time had not yet come when they could make use of this wonderful force in New Zealand. it was not the running by electricity that troubled them, it was the capital required. They had £10,000.000 to £12,000.000 now invested in hydro-electric works in the dominion, said the speaker, who went on to state that the cost of electrifying the short journey from Christchurch to Lyttelton had been £66,000. They had the power for running the trains by electricity, but they would have to face the expenditure of millions, and that would be on top of the millions they had invested in their railways. They had to improve what they bad in the meantime.

Sir Joseph pointed out that the motor competition on the Hutt road had increased to such an extent that the Government had bought out the bus companies, and that”there were now (ewer trams running on the Hutt line than before. It seemed that railwa J s eoulcl not compete with the motor over short routes, this having been the experience all over; the world.

Competition by buses was affecting the State asset in the railways. They did not want to duplicate lines if they could save money and also give good service. The Government had established n. Transport Board for dealing with ad kinds of motor traffic, and there was no doubt that they had to face the position as it stood. They could not even do away with the competition, because the traffic was becoming of such wide and general use. They could not afford to penalise a modern advance if it was a good advance. 'They did not want to have duplicate services; they wanted to adjust the present services, it might be necessary to duplicate the line to Port Chalmers, but they would investigate it. At the same time, he wanted to say frankly that the time had gone by when they would put in short-lino services in New Zealand. The only hope of carrying on the lines successfull.v was to avoid short lines, and to put their money into long lines. As for Mr Anderson’s statement regarding the revenue of £43,000 for one year, let them divide the amount by* twelve, and what did they find? The line could not pay on these figures, and it did not pay. Some things the Government had stopped because it had decided if there was to be a loss ii would not go on with it—not as a matter of politics, not in any hostility to their predecessors, but as* dealing with the position as it stood. They did not want to experiment at a huge cost if they could possibly avoid it. (Applause.)

JffHM tt'KENZIE CAIRN ITS RE-ERECTION URGED A deputation from the Gaelic Society asked Sir Joseph Ward for Government assistance in re-erecting the Sir John APKenzie Memorial Cairn which originally stood on the hill above Pukewhiti. The deputation was introduced by Air J. S. Douglas. Mr W. H. M'Lcod pointed out that the original cairn had been erected by public subscription. He said it had fallen down, and the cost of re-erect-ing it was £I,BOO, of which the. Government agreed to find £SOO if the society found the balance. Another £2OO had been sought from the Government, but it was refused, and the Government had made a straight-out grant of £SOO, that still being on the Estimates. The society contended that as the Government had erected memorials to the late Air Massey and the late Mr Scddon the late Sir John APKenzie was worthy of a similar honour.

Sir Joseph slated that in the early days Parliament was not keen on memorials. He, however, had always kept the question of the re-ercctiou of this cairn in view, and he had tried to effect the purchase of a suitable site at Pukctapu for the purpose. It was a site that could be seen in every direction, and a track could have been built down to the railway line to obviate the necessity of trespassing on the adjacent property. The owner, however, would not sell. Ho had then communicated with the Alayor of Palmerston, who had suggested that the memorial should he erected in the streets of the borough, but the AlTvonzie family was not in favour of this, nor was he. Personally he thought the country should provide the whole- of the money, as it owed a great debt to the late Sir John _ APKenzie, who was just as much entitled to a memorial as any of the other famous men of the country. He would try to have the. cairn creeled, and, that done, he would advocate that the country should he responsible for the care of it. Thu memorial would probably cost about £5,0U0, but inis would be cheap when the memory of Sir John was considered .

Dr Gordon Alacdouald said that ever since the. £SOO was placed upon the Estimates the Gaelic Society had been struggling with the Government to roerect the cairn. In 1922 the Hon. Air Massey was in Dunedin, and the society aoproadied him. He promised definitely that if his party was returned to power at the elections ho would immediately rc-orcct the cairn. Nothing was done. Then the society appealed to the Hon. Downie Stewart. He had estimates prepared by the Public Works engineer, which ran, from £1.700 to £2.000. He told the society that if it found ona-hait of this sum the Government would re-elect the cairn. The society looked on this offer as so much bluff, and lost all confidence in Government promises. _ The original cairn was erected by private subscription. Air Roderick Alackenzie and himself were the only two alive wild interested thcmseives in it. The others wore the late Air Lee Smith and Air J. F. AI. Fraser, K.C. They collected some £BO from the Gaelic Society. Air I ,eo Smith collected one guinea from each member of both Houses of the Legislature. _ The cost of the cairn was about £450, and Mr ] jG e Smith undertook to collect the balance of the money. It was a poor structure, and its defects told their tale in a few years. Sir Joseph said that lie would undertake that the new cairn would be built so that it would never come down.

G.D.O, SYSTEM A deputation from the Alanulacturers’ Association, comprising Alossrs J. Sutherland Boss (president) and Air G. AV. Reid (secretary) waited on Sir Joseph to voice an objection to the C.O.D. system. The deputation was heard in private.