SICK WORKERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 323, 9 June 1911, Page 5

SICK WORKERS.

GOVERNMENT CONCESSIONS ASKED. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington. Last Night. A deputation representing the Wellington Trades and Labor Council waited upon t/ic Ministers to-day and urged that, the Government should grant sick workers concessions in the matter of railway faros and fees at Rotorua.

It was urged that, there were a very large number of cases of sickness and injury that required treatment which could only be given at Rotorua, and unfortunately the men concerned had not money to pay their railway fare. The Hon. James Carroll (Acting-Pre-mier) said it seemed to him that the question was one that went far beyond what could be settled by individual concessions. The question had deeper root than that, and it was one he would like to see properly investigated by the Trades Council and bodies which made provision for the poor. "In what way ; could the Government grant monetary assistance?" he asked. The mere matter of reducing fees would not settle this great question.

The Hon. J. A. Millar expressed his sympathy with the deputation, but wanted to know how they were going to define a worker.

3lr. McLaren, M.P.: We define "worker" in this case as a person who is in want of health.

The Minister: That definition of worker must cover every man whose doctor's certificate says he would be benefited by sanatorium treatment.

Mr. Millar said it was a question whether they had the right to give to a section of the community a privilege which was not given to every other section. As that community in question owned the railways, it was, he added, a. question whether they were going to make this concession general. The matter would receive careful consideration.