SUPPORT FROM FARMERS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 122, 9 June 1937, Page 5

SUPPORT FROM FARMERS

-Press Association.)

(By Telegrapli-

DUNEDIN, Last Night. At the annual meeting of the Otago ibranch of the N.Z. Farmers' Union today the president of the union, Mr. : 'Mnlholland, said the New Zealand j Union supported a seheme of national I health insurance because it felt that ' such a seheme would improve the health of the community, remove constant anxiety from thousands of breadwinuers and tend to increase the happiness and also the economic value of the individual by removing one of the great deterrents to obtaining early medical adviee in case of suspected trouble. There had been assurances that a 1 Bill providing for the seheme would be | brought down next sessjon. The union |

would support the principle but the details would have to be watehed very carefully. It could be enacted to increase or relieve very considerably the charges on the community. The union 's principle was that the individual should be responsible for the charges ineidiental to his insurance. There had to be a personal contribution on the basis of personal income. Any other basis would necessarily mean increased charges and increased costs. "The other big danger is that the seheme might be made to include a iot of frills, all benefits desirable enough but not necessary," he continued. "It is easy to overload a seheme of-this type so that it becomes a burden on the community. It will have to be closely watehed and the union intends to do that and to give as much advice and jfessistanee as it can,"