HOSPITAL MATTERS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 87, 11 April 1912, Page 3

HOSPITAL MATTERS.

BOARD HAS A CONFERENCE WITH THE MINISTER, •

MANY MATTERS DISCUSSED

Yesterday the Minister for Public Health, Charitable Aid and Hospital: met the members of the Stratford Hospital and Charitable Aid Board and discussed with them a few matter? upon which the Board desired enlightenment. Mr Russell was accompanied by Dr. Valintine, Inspector-General of Hospitals, and Dr. Steven, medical superintendent of the local hospital. ; The chairman, Mr Marfell, in welcoming the Minister, said there were one or two matters which were per plexing the Board. The chief was ii, connection with the men working 01 the Stratforcl-Te Koura railway works These men were a great burden on tin Board. Of the total fees the Board collected only half, but from the mei on the works they collected little o’, nothing. It was not the married me? who were the worst in this respect It was the single ones. There were sev oral other matters, but these would crop up in the course of their little conference.

Mr Russell said he desired to thanl the members of the Board for tin hearty welcome they had given then that day. (ft was his sincere desire while Minister of Public Health, Hos pitals and Charitable Aid to come inf. the closest possible contact with tlu Boards that administer the affairs o' these institutions. As they knew, tin /Government exorcised very little sup' ervision over their administration. The powers of the Board were ver; wide, and beyond subsidising £1 fm £1 ftbe money that they raised ant making a general expenditure, the po licy of the Government was to leaw the control of affairs almost entTeh in the hands of the local authority He held the opinion very strongly tha this was the wisest policy and that it would ho a bad policy indeed t< interfere with the control of thest institutions. Perhaps they did no realise how. important the work o' local government was. The member' of the Board came into touch fron day to day with suffering and case; of distress and poverty. He looked t-. them as advisers, to give their view: on the problems that arose in corniertion with administration of the de pertinents 'over which he had control With regard to the question of tlu workmen on the railway works, Ik would say at once there was no-pow-er existing under which the Govern merit could make any deduction fron the workmen’s wages* They did tlisi work and they earned their money and the Government had no power 1 to take any of it from them. The suggestion was absolutely impractic able and impossible. At the same time he realised there was a great deal ir what they said. Still the Government subsidy was in a Iqrge measure intended; to meet such those to whirl ! they were referring.-‘Only one half of the money was raised locally. thed other being provided by the State Tims they all contributed their share even these men contributed some thing. Mr Russell referred to a scheme which was in progress on tlu West Coast some years ago. The men purchased a £1 ticket which gavt them and their wives and families free hospital treatment for one year Ho believed that on the Otira railway works between Christchurch and Ho kitika, where the situation was some what similar to that which existed af Whangamomona, the men themselvc? got up an organisation under whicl they contributed a certain amount tc a fund which they paid into the Hospital Board and by that means the.', received free treatment at tne hos pitals. He suggested that a membei of the Board should visit the work? and place tlie matter before the men, and see if they would not raise a decent subscription. The chairman : “I don’t like to interrupt you but that has been done without result. It’s hopeless.” In answer to this Mr Russell said ;

great deal depended on the way tin men were approached. A great deal oi tact was required, though he .would not like to suggest that this had not been the case. Still another appeal might result in something better. However, he was satisfied that thes; men should pay their hospital fees He was surprised to hear that the, single men *were the worse. Ho had no sympathy with men who could pay for their treatment and refused to do so. Still, did they not have recourse to a measure—a charging order—uni dor which application could be made to the Government to refund to the Board the foes for which their employees were liable, and the amount would' then be deducted out ofi the men’s wages. A member: Can we do that? Mr Russell intimated that the matter would be referred to the Crown. Law Officers and the legal position ascertained. Referring to the matter of skilled nursing for the baekblocks settlers. Mr Russell said that this was largely a matter for the members of , the Board and upon their shoulders a great deal of the responsibility must rest. Whenever a woman in the baekblocks was approaching that critical period when skilled help was necessary, they should see to it that help was forthcoming. Large responsibilities were thus placed upon the Board, and he recognised the difficulties they must have in large districts. The Government realised the urgent necessity for trained nurses to give asistance to women in the i baekblocks. They wished to assist the j non, who wore really pioneers, in I every possible way. This subject would | have his most careful and sympathetic 1 consideration. Of course there were ! a certain number of trained nurses

turned out from the Maternity Homes throughout the Dominion, but their numbers were not sufficient. He had

suggested to Dr. Valintine that it

might he possible for them to take advantage of some reliable women something after the style of the old midwife, and use them for the purpose of assisting in maternity cases. “What we are out to do,” added Mr Russell, “is to alleviate as far as

possible the trials and sorrows of those who are in the backblock districts.” Referring to charitable aid, Mr Russell said they realised that in every district there were persons who were unable to provide for themselves, and to these persons their sympathy must go. The Government proposed at

an early date to bring down legislation under which men who arc incapacitated either by accident or. infirmity from being able to earn their own living would be assisted after the same mariner as old-age 'pensioners. In the meantime it was most lioees-

sary that the local bodies should exercise great care and caution in their distribution of charitable aid. They should see that they did not develop in their midst a class of professional mendicants. He hoped in the' interests of the taxpayer that this Board and every other Board will exercise strict supervision so that charitable aid is not abused and thus enable wasters and mendicants to live on the earnings of hard-working honest men. He wished to emphasise throughout the whole of the Dominion what he was saying now. They had absolutely no sympathy for the wasters and loafers, and for those who were encouraging their children to grow up beggars and loafers.

In conclusion Mr Russell said that the great thing was for them to get to know each other. ,He promised to do everything in his power to assist them.. If it were required he would even strain the law so , that they might be enabled to carry out their work efficiently. He hoped that the administration of the Departments over which ho had control would be carried on in the same satisfactory manner as it had been done in the past, both locally and throughout the Dominion. (Applause.)

The matter of, the nurses for the backblocks was referred to, and one of the members mentioned it as his opinion that Whangamomona did not want a nurse. They wanted a doctor. In this connection Dr. Valintine said he had been opt to Whangamomona and seen the men. They had £350 guaranteed, hut he explained to them the difficulty of getting, a' .doctor • to go out there. A young doctor .ryoidd naturally not like to go..out to a backblocks dictrict, and they would not like an older man, who had not been perhaps too successful with Ids former practices. Mr Meredith referred to the matter of midwives. ,He stated that women who had hitherto assisted in maternity cases were frightened to do so now, owing;to q new Parliamentary.’measure vi’hicht .stipulated Hurt all - midwives-: should '‘he certificated;’ and hulking all those women who did not possess "tins (J , imlificaTi"dh‘to''a“cmTaiii'cx-' tent liable should accidents occur.

In reply to Mr Meredith the Minister said the Government , Jind never For one moment'’’■intended to enforce this mchsm;e:yvherc no other assistance was available. In such districts the. Act would, be setyaside. Mr Russell mentioned that in Hawera he had informed a body that waited on him, that he was . moving in the direction of allowing -tile Hospital Boards to be represented in Court when cases occurred of children being committed to industrial homes were heard. This was received with considerable gratification by those present, as .the charge on' .th'tjgißpauls for such children is a considerable one. In a further discussion in which a member of the Board expressed the opinion that the Board should have direct powers of rating, the Minister said ho did not hold with those'views.. The trend of legislation would lie in the direction of consdidation. The Hospital Boards and kindred bodies r.ouid be ultimately merged in cue, something after the fashion of a provincial council. After a formal vote of thanks had been passed to the Minister and Dr. Valintine, the party were driven to the hospital and conducted .over that institution.