Hospitals Amendment

Hokitika Guardian, 4 February 1922, Page 1

Hospitals Amendment

WJSLI.INGTON, Feb. 2 The Hospital and Charitable Institutions Act Amendment Bill was taken in committee. , The Hon J. A. Hanan said the Bill t was of such a contentious nature that fit should not be brought in at such a late hour. It was not fair to members, who had bad a strenuous day. It simply meant that a Bill that should be carefully considered would be rushed through. He specially objected to the clauses dealing with private hospitals. These clauses should be held over to enable the British Medical Association to meet and express an opinion. The Minister said he had no intention of forcing these clauses through. At the same time they were the result of careful thought by his Depart- | ment, the .officers of which thought it 5 was in the interests of the public that private hospitals "should Jbe subject to closer inspection. He asked the House to pass these clauses, and when they went to the Council the British Medical Association would have an opportunity of stating their objections before a committee of that body. Air Al’Leod objected to clauses 7 and 8, which provided for an immediate levy against local bodies, when it was well known that these bodies had not collected rates and that owing to the large number of soldier settlers at least 25 per cent of rates cannot lie collected. The Minister said jie proposed to modify that portion of the Bill. .Members continued to urge objec*. tions to the Bill, and at 12.25 a.m. Mr Yeitch moved to report progress, which was defeated by 81 to 16. Tbe Prime Minister asked the committee to pass the first clause and then lie would agree to report progress. The Hon J. A. Hanan said if the Minister would hold over the objectionable clauses lie would not offer further opposition. The Prime Minister said the .Minister jiad agreed to do so. Mr Hanan said that tinker those circumstances he was satisfied. Mr M’Combs said lie congratulated

the Minister on bringing down such a Bill. There was great need for hotter supervision over private hospitals, which in some cases were deplorable. Dr Newman supported the Bill as a whole, and hoped it would pass. He, however, objected to the withdrawal of subsidies frofn certain charitable institutions.

Mr Atmore objected to the .snuffing out of St Andrew’s Orphanage at Nelson, which had done such excellent work for the past fifty years.

The Minister said, with regard to subsidies, the trouble was that if money was given to one institution it should be given to all. They, therefore, proposed to withdraw these subsidies and change the system of meeting such cases.

After further discussion and opposition to the Bill the Prime Minister promised that the measure should he again considered by Cabinet, which meant, ho said, that the session must go on next week. This, however, did not relax the opposition, which became obviously better organised and there was eyery appearance of a protracted v discussion. The general principles were debated until 3 a.in. when M.r Jyellett moved an amendment postponing operation of the Bill until 1993.

This was defeated by 29 votes to 14. A motion to report progress wns immediately moved and discussed until 3.30, when it was defeated bv 30 votes to 12. The first clause was then passed and the IJouse rose. ;