MEDICAL AID IN THE BUSH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 99, 17 October 1911, Page 7

MEDICAL AID IN THE BUSH.

A WHANGAMOMONA MEETING. There was a good attendance at a meeting in Whangamomona on Thursday evening for the purpose of further considering the scheme for the engagement of a doctor for the district. The movement had been in the air for a long time, and had been hindered somewhat by the difficulty of securing something definite from the co-operative men on the railway works, although it was understood that they were anxious to have a medical man stationed there. A fund of £122 had been established, of which £72 was collected from the settlers, and £SO granted by the hospital board; and a further subsidy of £GO wouldi be available from the Government, making in all £ 182. This meeting was called to ascertain the feeling of the settlers and others as to the best means of utilising this fund. Mr. Joe McCluggage, chairman of the trustees of the fund, presided. , j The chairman,, in opening the proceedings, said the trustees had hoped to come to an arrangement with Dr. Milroy, of I New Plymouth, but he understood that I that gentleman had now entered into other arrangements. He believed, liow- | ever, that'they could obtain the services j of a doctor in Dunedin if they could I make the terms good enough. They ; would have to nialce a more liberal offer, however, than the previous one, for the salary an<J mileage fees were too low to be tempting, the year's salary being guaranteed only up to £IOO. Mr. I McCluggage said he believed the raili way workers werq prepared to contriI bute sixpence a week to the fund, but | there was no authorised offer from them | yet. The support promised by the sct- | tters, added to the suggested contributions by the railway men, would provido sufficient to eijable ;i good salary to be. paid'itriil' .a 'free' bed' provided in tho Stratford Public Hospital.

In answer tq, Mi;. S. Morrison, who urged ftie' necessity for obtaining some form of guarantee from the co-operative workers,' ill', McCluggage said there need he 'iid , fear; on that head, for navvies tW hestjmen in.the world at paying'for .this s'ort of thing, as had been proved on the Trunk railway. Mr. 31(CjUtchan favored using up the accumulated,, in guaranteeing a .doctor £OT''a. , 'ii'Vonth for six months, pointing; out. td Sihyone interested that there Were oWr : 400 men on the railway works" in 'the' J district, and leaving the man appointed to' make his own arrange-1 ments with""fliem. He had understood that Dr. Milroy was prepared at the time to come for 1 guaranteed remuneration of £3O a month till the fund was exhausted, and- t-lm-t he thought there would be.no need for the guarantee at the end of that'tirhe. But whoever came must not be tied "down to a low scale of fees. Flfat, "Ms' them get a doctor for six months. : If the practice paid, welt and 'gdoil."' If 'the district didn't suit him, the'matter would have to drop. But if the' district suited, and only the rCmtmol-rftirtr'r was insufficient, the settlers woiild 'have to put their heads together and make some further arrangements... Y v Mr. R. G. Fawkner favored this course, ant], a further £100; if required at the end of the suggested,-term. Qp,urt the best (plan would be to * form an association, the members of which, would have some concessions in the. matter of fees, but ho was prepared./tg assist in any scheme th.it would hav.e-.lhe effect of settling a doctor amoijgssbithem. Mr. McCutchan ..then moved that the money iusubsidy ,as> a bonus to a doctor at 'Of £.30 -a month, and that it ;be . a ,-stipulation that only the ordinary! schedule) of fees and mileage be charged, '-'i " Mr. Fawkner ■An amondpienti that the bonus be £2O a month, for nine months was moved by Mr. Court, .-and secoiidgd by Mr. Kaivanagh, but was withdrawn when th'e chairman bad pointed out that the experience of the promoters of the movement had shown that such a proposition would not ' be* sufficiently attractive. Mr. McCutcjian, speaking to the amendment, said they had to look at the proposition from thp.doctor's viewpoint as well as tlifir own., First, they wanted a young doctor.'' lie must keep to the front, and after,two years in the backblock* be would have to go out into the world, leaving a locum tcnens to bring himself up-to-date. I'nless they offered a good inducement they would net some broken-down old man who would be of li t tie'use in such a district. ! To get a goodi eU'ver, young doctor they ! must "make 'the' thing sweet." For his I part he would rather be without a doctor I unless they could get a good one. and ! tbov were hot going to get a clever and promising man to give up his present social and other 'advantages unless he were offered ""good prospects. 1 The motion was carried without disJ sent. I The subscribers decided to leave the I negotiations in the hands of the trustees, and the chaiYnian was authorised to take | active steps in the matter.