A HEALTH LECTURE

Wairarapa Age, 31 March 1920, Page 2

A HEALTH LECTURE

THE PLUNKET SOCIETY, AND ITS WORK,

In his address from the chair at the Plunket Society's annual meeting in Wellington on Monday, Dr. Elliott' said it was not necessary toi stress tH© importance of the work ot the Society; its fame had gone .abroad to the ends of the earth. It was remarkable, though, that the Society had been started by propaganda and was/ initiated nd mintained without the sanction of State or any organised authority. Quoting mortality statistics he said that we- were living below our privileges. The country had great natural advantagta over older countries and should have a healthier people, but there was greal room for inK provemerit. There, had been li steady decrease in infantile mortality since 1870, much largely due to this Society. The marriage rate had been upset by the war, and also emigration, so:that there were not as many people in this country as there ought to be, dridthis, said Dr. Elliott, had an important bearing on the health of , women and children in the important matter of obtaining help. He thought the only solution to this pressing problem was a wide emigration scheme. Another point which required attention was | the housing problem. Families j had to 'liVe in one room and this waij bad for their health and moral condition. At, least 25,000 -houses were required in this country to relieve the shortage, for about 13£ per cent of the people m New Zealand were living in overcrowded conditions. A hydro-electric scheme was needed also to supply cheap transit, and this would also supply cheaper electric power for domestic purposes. If such a scheme could be. carried out we might even have smokeless cities. Another important point bearing on the health of women and children •was the milk supply: This was much improved, but its control rested not only in-the City Council, but the Health and Agricultural and Railway Departments, and. so divided control was not a good thing. Dr. Elliott said a greatchange had been wr6ught by . the war in regard to the diagnosis and treatment of .dk sease. The prevention and cure of disease was a matter of extraordinary complexity, calling, for the best of organisation, equipment, team work, and above all finance.' Money was required to deal with the problem properly. If 6d was spent on the national health for every £1 spent on the war a great' deal could," be done. With regard tj> our hospitals these only dealt with a section of the community, thOße unable to pay,for private medical treatment. The treatment ,in private; hospitals \?aa a haphazard method. Far more money was than could be supplied by doctors or- nurses, while hospitals as, commercial enterprises were not desirable. The medical profession at the recent meeting in. Dunedin had recommended the' establishment .of private institutions; in reld-,. Ktion to public hospitals, where people able to pay could be accommodated, 'Having their own doctors. This tem was in vogue in Canada, and had been done in London. Unless something of the kind were done the only people who would receive proper facilities would be those in the public hospitals. Speaking of the general administration of the Health Department Dr. Elliott thought it should not be subordinated to any other. It was of more importance than education,, The Minister for Public Health" should have some technical training or else the Board of Public .Health sh6uld be the controlling power, instead of as now, making recommendations whicb x are seldom or never carried into effect.