Rangitikei Advocate THURSDAY, SEPT. 19, 1907. EDITORIAL NOTES

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8925, 19 September 1907, Page 2

Rangitikei Advocate THURSDAY, SEPT. 19, 1907. EDITORIAL NOTES

THE other dev our House of Rejects, haring nothing bettor to do, discussed the .subject of foes charged by the medical profession, and iu the course of an attack on the doctors the Hon. J. Barr declared that the medical profession -would have to he taken out of commercialism. I u the course of an article on this the Hawke’s Bay Herald makes very effective reply. It [says“The medical profession is clearly a calling from which the professor hopes to make a living, and oven it maybe a fortune. IJv lias probably spent a largo sum of money and a good many years’ study in acquiring his knowledge and qualifying himself for practice. Ho is entitled surely to a fair remuneration ,for his work, j nst.as every labourer is worthy of his hire. One often hoars the charge of mercenary spirit made against the profession by people who would not dream of suggesting that a carpenter or a bricklayer should offer his services free of cost to anybody who alleged that they could not pay for them. Frankly, a professional man depends on his ’fees for hia living, and there is no reason why he should not refuse to work without them. Everyone knows that medical men do often work for no returns. Most of them have quite a largo number of cases on their list which are not remunerative, or only partially so. There is no one iu the community who does so much fr6e of charge as the professional man. If ho believes that the client is unable to pay, and deserves help, lie is generally ready to help him. But there is certainly no compulsion about the matter. And it is quite possible that most medical men have an unpleasant experience of people who can pay and will not. We have hoard medical men blamed for refusing to attend cases where they knew that the fees would -not he forthcoming although they .could bo mot without undue hardship. We confess that our sympathy is with tiie doctor iu such cases. Yet most people are ready to assume, as Mr Barr does, that the medical man is a commercial bloodsucker. There may be black sheep iu the profession ; there must he. But lias no heard of a merchant or a tradesman who js hard-hearted or of a baker or a butcher who refused credit when his customer could t not be prevailed upon to pay his bill. The cause of the present animus against the medical profession is the disagreement of the profession with the friendly societies, .which has come to a head in Auckland. It lias some times, been represented that this is solely a question of fees. If it were so wo should not think it disgraceful that the profession should regard a guinea as an inadeqnto romneratiou for a year’s service. But it is not so. The real point of the profession’s grievance is that most of the friendly societies contain “a number of persons who are well able to pay doctor’s fees. If the societies would hx a maximum income within which members wore entitled to free medical attendance there would bo little difficulty between them and j

th ■•■ profession. Horo again it is .'jriit-j to think that there is is .something in tho contention. If we consider the cost and labour of qualifying for practice there ?is nothing remarkable in tho contention that the societies' frees "are so small as to maka it quite legitimate to feol that some limitation as that reforred to would he fair. At all events there is nothing scandalous in suggesting it.

SOME key to tho character of the men who at present guide the destinies of the Common-wealth is given by the language they use as woll as by the actions they abet or perform. TeJiing advantage of the power they found in their hands the politicians have recently voted themselves considerably increased salaries—following tho example of our own professional[politicians when they performed the "MO steal" as a prelude to the permanent increase of their "salaries. When some Australians protested against what was nothing less than a thameless broach of trust, the gentle and courteous Sir W. Lyiie, chief champion of tho raiders, declared that " any man who talked about the increaso of £2OO was a skunk.'' He also inforumed the meeting that '' the Commonwealth was about the meanest -shop he had ever been in."' He evidently regards politics as a trade. Some ;day Australia may develop statesmen, but at present she seems to produce nothing but blatant politicians who place an inflated value oh their own services. It is regrettable [that the reins of office shptild, bejn ,the hands of such

young nation require most,* r6Ln management. Still there is r< iasou :o holievo that ere long the clem ocracy will perceive that the possessio u °* leather lungs ami brazen 01. , - of-r should not be the sole qualificatk of members of Parliament.

THE Puketapu (Hawke's Bay) branch of the Farmers' Union recently, discussed the farm labourers' demands, and tho chairman said it ■was impossible to make hours for farm labourers. As a dairy farmer and small agricultural man, he was certain an award gfor agricultural labourers would not work. Another speaker said it was tho general rule amongst cowmen not to work more than eight hours a day, but at harvesting time they, of course, had to work more'thau that, and Jthe proposal would 'greatly interfere with farmers in that respect. The wages, too, that wore proposed would mean, in the case of dairy farming, the J exit of that industry. Tho labour on dairy farms was practically unskilled labour, ana lie thought a very fair wage was paid. Tho inclusion of the families of dairymen would also bo a mistake. It was only with the assistance received from members of their families that some members could make dairying pay. Those who are acquainted with the conditions under which tho natural industries have to work, will agree with these remarks.