The Hokitika Guradian SATURDAY, JULY 22nd., 1922. THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 July 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guradian SATURDAY, JULY 22nd., 1922. THE WEEK.

At the Hospital Boards Conference at Wellington during the week the Minister of Hospitals in the course of an address stated that, after 2J years in his position he knew a good deal more than when be started. He would at once encourage the idea of having a gathering like that of hospital boards periodically. Men who were engaged in puh]io or private jobs did well to come toother pccpßjoflfylly fp ideas pm] exchunga views with regard to r-ommon problems business.. la wr<3 to,

j administration and the work of hospiI tals and boards there might be differernes, so that it was absolutely nocesI sary that they should come together j and from the discussion evolve improvements in their work. By all means let i them form such an association, but not I confine it to the large hoards. The problems of small boards were quite as serious to them as the larger ones. They must sympathise with their brothers and help them across the bridge of difficulties and hard times. After 30 years of experience of public life, local and Parliament, one conclusion was born in on his mind with irresistible force day by day ; more .good could he accomplished round the table in

five minutes than years of opposition

He would welcome them, and not less their support and recommendations in Hie campaign against venereal disease. They had dismissed the subject at the hoard of Health, wliieh had determined to investigate the question and he had

decided to appoint from the Board of Health, laymen and medical gentlemen a committee to inquire into and investigate. and it would make recommendations to the Government. The committee would consist of Mr H. W. Triggs. chairman of the Board of Health; Dr T. H. Vnlintine, Director-General of Health; General McGavin, of the Board of Health and a former surgeon in New Zealand and a man of great capacity md experience during the war; Dr ,T.

. S. Elliott, of the British Medical Asso- ! elation, without whom they dare not j move; Lady Luke, who was on the j imard representing the women of New Zealand; and. lie believed, one other lad.v. These ladies and gentlemen would with the assistance of the depaitment inquire first as to the prevalence of A r .D. in the country, for parliament wanted to know the extent of its ravages, and delegations were made that It was extremely prevalent and that an undue proportion existed in the Dominion. Were those statements true? He must have the assurance that they wore true. Were they suffering more than any other country, as had l>een alleged? The next thing would be to trace the causes for its existence wifh a view to remedy, and make suggestions to himself and the Government. They would advise the Minister, the Government and the public, for tile delilteratinns and-conclusions of a committee of that kind would have weight ns to whether legislation was sufficient. There was a Social Hygiene Act on the statute book, but it was claimed that it did not meet the situation of the hour. Many people said they should go further in legislation ns was done iti other countries. There was some division of opinion, hut the committee of lay people, mixed with the medical fraternity would he aide to inquire into the mattor ot legislation and advise what was HecPssary in thnt resperi; and lastly. the medical gentlemen would indicate where they were lacking in treatment or methods of treatment.

With regard to hospital boards finaneial difficulties continued Mr Parr, and the raising of money by loans, it was not peculiar to hospital boards. Individuals. as well as local bodies and the Government had difficulty in raisingmoney at the present time, although Mr Massey’s o per cent, loan in London was a remarkable and unprecedented success. The security of hospital boards was unequalled as security fo r trust funds. That was not the general opinion. Until he put last year’s bill through their power to borrow was exceedingly limited, and the security they had to offer was doubtful ns a security. That no longer existed. In the Act of last, year they were empowered to pledge their levies and their rights to levy on all the local bodies in t'e’r districts as security for mortgage. T:> bad the gilt-edged securities of all the local bodies in Now Zealand, and if he bad £IOO to invest; he would rather put it into bonds of the hospital board than any city council of New Zealand. The mortgage had not only the security of the city council, hut of all local authorities within the hospital district. Tn the face of that the most careful money lender need not fear to loan his money. He wished to say that publicly, because there was still a feeling that hospital boards were not as good security as the cities. The hospitals had the cities and the country behind them, and also the Government, for the State paid half their interest, and what local body could say that the State oame in and paid half the interest on its loStns? He hoped the Public Trustee, in view of tlq, security would be able to loan them fairly large suras at moderate interest. (A delegate: Don’t tempi us). He advised them to be economical. Thov would have to have more accommodation in their hospitals. They had to give the nurses a day’s holiday a. week which meant more nurses and more accommodation. He would not discourage them in providing more accommodation, because they could no longer permit the sweating of theso women. In the wicked past, that charge might have been laid at their door, hut he was glad they had nearly all fallen into line in giving nurses a day a week. Those hoards which ha<l made the change had a contented and more satisfied and hard-working staff, better able to stand up to the work than before. Thu hoards p«u!<j give undwWetl ity, and the association might coniidf’ p|?»H ’*'h*rel7 they Sump tlri'r

loans, and with the approval of tli.’ Government, seek for larger finance than they could do separately or individually. While recognising their duty to the State, he hoped they would not forget those who had to find the

finance, the ratepayers and the Government, who were up against it. In some places half the rate levied went to the Hospital Board. Their policy during the next two years should bo. to go steady, and everything in flic way of luxuries must he postponed.

Continuing. Mr Parr said as regards subsidies he thought there should be a new scale as soon as possible, according to the plan worked out by the department and the Hospitals Commission, eighteen months ago. There should he an additional £60,000 or £70,000 from the Government, but Mr Massey said that in view of the ordinary increase in the aggregate subsidy he could not find the money. The secretary of the department had suggested that they should knock off the subsidy to the voluntary contributions, which ran into £40,000 to £50,000 a year, and ask Mr Massey for a new scale. He v.ns dubious about it. He feared it would be a mistake to say to the people who were anxious to help the sick and industrially wounded that they could not give a subsidy to tlieir contributions. It Would dry up the springs. One of the best features of tile hospital system was that they encouraged benevolent-inii ded people to give. As soon ns they got round the corner his first duty would he to get legislation to put the matter on a more equitable basis. The boards and the Department of Health were in partnership, amj there should lie no predominant party in it. Let them take tile advice of experts mid as they had good men who knew the best way of systematising tlieir administration let them avail themselves of the advice. No better system than that in New Zealand could lie found in the universe, and he thought it would he copied in other countries. He asked them to continue tlieir good work, assuring them that they had the hearty goodwill of the Minister of the day.