DEPARTMENTAL VOTES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 37, 6 November 1937, Page 3

DEPARTMENTAL VOTES

-Press Assooiation.)

House Discusses The Estimates MANY TOPICS COVERED

Bv Telesranh-

WELLINGTON, Last Night. Consideration of the Estimates was oontinued when the House resumed At 2.30. Tho Land ahd Income .Tax vote of £161,870 was passed as was the Stamp Duties Department vote of £94,741 and the Audit Department vote of £42,876. When discussing the latter vote Mr. S. G. Holland drew attention to the in* creased cost of the Department wliinh, he said, had increased at the rate pf £10,000 a year for two years. The Minister in charge of the Audit Department, in reply, stated that as the work of the Audit Department had increased so had the staff increased, also the cost. Maori Housing and Help. Discussing" the Health .Department vote of £11,141,650, fiir Apirana Ngata discussed natiye health problems and pointed.out that the whole of this question was fundamentally connected with housing, Help was needed for Maoris who were in poorer circumstanccs. Necessary provision could not bo made for them for housing on account of the repayment" of loans, but he suggested that if provision were made in the civil list for setting aside a reserve fund to rnoet any possible losses on houses for Maoris it would tend to relieve the position and would prove a very beneficial thing for the native race. He istressed tho importance of water supply and sanitation for native dwellings — important for health reasor"? — that while Maoris taking a part in de-j velopment schemes were being provided; with water and sanitation this did not apply to natives who were not so situated. He thought that as a result of the provision of good water and sanitation Schemes there would be a big drop in the incidence of sueh infectious diseases as typhoid fever, etc., and the provision of such facilities was a basic problem which should have been tackled long ago. A vote of £1000 or £2000 a year on the understanding that the sum should be repaid by the Maoris through the Native Affairs Department would g» a long way to provide the facilities . j rcquired. ! The Minister for Health (Hon. P, l Fraser), in reply, said a start had been made with -a housing scheme for Maoris and it was proposed to extend the plan throughout New Zealand. Particular attention was being given to .the North Auckland district Avhere economic faciors arising from the state of the guin industry had to be taken into consideration. The clarifieation of the whole. qucstion would depend on the rate of progress in housing in thjs part of the country. He added that his department • was fully alive to tne necessity for maiutaining a preventlve campaign against tuberculosis. Such a campaign was eminently preferable to a curative policy. ' Science" had simwn that tuberculosis could be prevented and the Government intended to carry on until the disease had been' defeated. This could be dono and there was no method known to medical science that would not be adopted by tho Government in its effcwts to put an end to the disease. Thc Minister characterised the history of tuberculosis among the Maori people as deplorable and shocking, and it was a reflection that had to be removed. 'Ihe Minister, speaking of the question of water supply and sanitation, stated that whenever a practical scheme of improvement was submitted to his department, it. would be examined and if it were shown that there were possibilities of. its being "successful it would be put into operation. He assured them that money would be available for any • scheme of drainage or water supply that complied with the needs of the community and was assured of success. Mr. Fraser said 126,000 school children were being regularly supplied with milk and the scheme was being rapidly ' xtended throughout New Zealand. It liad been much more difficult to get .uilk than had been anticipated. There .rere the questions of tuberculin-tested ..crds and adequate pasteurisation to .ieal with and in the circumstances the 'success achieved had been satisfactory. tioferring to hydatids, the Minister said it was a dreadful disease and it was "hoped t.o get general support for the idea of making it compulsory to buy a packet of preventive wit'h every dog license taken out. It was at least a practical stop in dealing with the disease. Mr. "W. E. Barnard asked the Minister if the House would bo given an opportunity to discuss the report of the committeo of inquiry into the question of aboftioh. ' ' Mr. Fraser said he would be pleased to discuss the question raised with the Prirne Minister.

The health estimates were passed and the next vote to be considered was that of £390,000 for the Mental Bospitals Department. Inaurance for Children m School Buses. Mr. Kyle suggested the setting up of a royal commission to inquire into the prevention of the incidence of diseases which affectcd the mental condltlon. The vote was passed and the House prpceeded with consideration of the Department of Education Estimate of £3,745,325. Mr. Forbes suggested that children being conveyed to and from school in buses should be covered by insuratfCe. Mr. S. G. Smith asked if intermediate schools were to be established would the cour'se at those schools be for two years only. The suggestion that children travelling in school buses should^be covered by insurance was supported by Mr. A. S. Richards. The Minister of Education (Hon. P. Fraser), in reply, said arrangements had b.esa wiJfo igsur^jaa .cnapa_&ifia .to

accept school children for third party risks. "With reference to intermediate schools the present Governihent 's policy. was not to force either intermediate oi consolidatfcd schools on unwilling people. The Education Vote was passed and the House adjourned at 5.30 until 2.30 on Tuesday. During the da£ it passed nine clalses of estimates totalling £5,768,456.^ Milk for Children. Mr. J. A. M. lloy commended tbe Minister for supplying milk to Bchooi children, die pointed out that country children had accesa to plenty of milk and suggested that it would. be better if they were supplied with fruit." Mr. H. {3. S. Kyle drew attention to the incidence of hydatids in New Zealand and suggested that placards should be placed in schools and freezing works drawing attention to the danger of the disease. Mr. W. A. Bodkin asked if anytliing could be done to prevent the outbreak of infantile paralysis. If a cainpaign were-iaunched and parents would take precautions during certain months it would be helpful. He also drew attention to the need of giving attention to the question of abortion. . Mr. J. Hargest said tuberculosis among nurses was becoming almost an occupational disease. He asked the Minister if it could be prevented by giving longer "perioda of holidays. Healthy . young women entered bospitals yet an enormous number contracted the disease.