AGREEMENT DENIED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 August 1938, Page 4

AGREEMENT DENIED

DOCTORS AND THE HEALTH SCHEME STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT OFB.M.A. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) i WELLINGTON, This Day. ' When speaking on the social security report in the House of Representatives cr. Thursday night, Dr D. G. McMillan, M.P., for Dunedin West, is reported to have stated that the Government’s proposals had been placed before representatives of the profession, and the doctors were in entire agreement with the Government excepting on the question as to whether the scheme should be partial or universal. This statement was referred yesterday to Dr J. P. S. Jamieson, president of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association. “The fact is,” said Dr Jamieson, “that the Government’s proposals have not yet been placed before us. “All that was shown the represenetatives of the profession was. an adaptation of the outline of administration which we ourselves suggested in the plan we formulated over a year. ago. As to ‘entire agreement,’ we plainly stated that we were so completely convinced that the universal scheme was so contrary to the interests of the country as a whole that we were compelled to oppose it to the utmost of our power. “With such divergence between us and the Government on the broad matter of general principle, we said that consideration of secondary questions of administration and remuneration were equivalent to the choosing by a condemned man between a hempen rope and a silken cord. It is strange that Dr McMillan, who was present, could construe this unequivocal statement to mean ‘entire agreement.’ ”