HEALTH SCHEME

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 April 1938, Page 5

HEALTH SCHEME

EVIDENCE OF DR ULRIC WILLIAMS. "SCIENCE OF THE PROPOSALS DEFECTIVE.” By Telegraph.—Press Association. ■ WELLINGTON, April 26. Giving evidence before the Health and Superannuation Committee, which resumed its hearings today, Dr Ulric Williams, Wanganui, said there were three main factors for consideration. One was that the spirit of the proposals should be adequate, another that it should function and the third that the science of it was accurate. If any of these was found to be wanting, the proposals would not attain its objective. There was no lack of spirit, no lack of willingness to carry it out, but when it came to the science of the proposal the scheme was shown to be defective. It rested on 'an assumption that medical treatment was either’ desirable or good for sick people. That assumption was wrong. Medical treatment which was based on false assumptions was wrong in principle, and because of that it failed in practice. The aim should be to encourage people to live healthily. Under present conditions a family could not buy the food it needed, and for that reason he suggested an increased family allowance. People did not need more doctoring, but more protection from the existing system. He contended that half the people in hospital had no need to be there.