DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 November 1924, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

I I ur telegraph— PßESS assn , corYßionr

IMPROVEMENT OF HOSPITALS. nimrsii .medical association's PROPOSALS. , AVICI,LI NOTON, Nov. 1. Dr I!. C.'.-implicll Hegg. secretary of the New Zealand hraneh of tin* Britisli .Medical Association, lias written to Sir Maui Pomarc. Minister of Health, regretting that his evidence at Palmerston North should have heen construed as a complaint against the Health Department. AVhat he said was that in many eases, according to the highest standard of modern requirements. the hospitals are inefficient. That was what he believed to ho the truth, hut at the same time, it was far from his mind to decry our hospitals in comparison with those of other countries. with which, he thought, they would compare favourably. I)r llegg then proceeds to set, out his reasons at length and elaborate his arguments for the improvement of hospitals generally. The proposals of the Hritish Medical Association are as follows: (I)—Absence of any possibility of political control, local or general. It!) Deduction of expenditure to tin amount that will not impose tin excessive burden on the State.

('•)) 'Availability of hospitals for all. under conditions that will safeguard the taxpayer and the profession.

(I) An organisation that will litilhe all the best medical and surgical talent in thi> country and give facilities for th(> advance of medical science. ('>) That all this talent should not he used only for Ihe treatment of individuals. hut for the progressive improvement of huspitals.

NF.AYKPAPF.iI PROPRIETOR SPED. GISBORNE, November •(. At the Magistrate’s Court at Tokomnru Hay, Frederick Louis Thomas, manager id’ the Tokomauu Freezing Works, sued Hubert fribhin, late proprietor of the *‘ Fast Coast AA’atch,” for L‘7"> damages for libel in a report of a police court ease in which plaintill' was one of the presiding justices, and editorial comments thereon. After lengthy evidence Magistrate Levy in giving a verdict for plaintiff for Cofl said the real question at issue was whether a certain statemnet had heen made by the plaintiff. The evidence showed the words were never used. He, therefore. considered the insertion of the paragraph by the defendant in the report was wrongful and characterised the leading article as scurrilous in tone and quite unjust.