MEDICAL BILL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 September 1941, Page 4

MEDICAL BILL

MEETING OF PROTEST. MEASURE CONDEMNED AT AUCKLAND. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, September 24. The utmost enthusiasm marked a public meeting of protest against the Social Security Amendment Bill held in the Auckland Town Hall tonight. The main hall was filled with an audience of more than 3000 people and fully 600 more listened to loudspeakers in the Concert Chamber. After hearing addresses from Sir James Elliott, Wellington, and.five local speakers, including the mayor, Mr Allum, who presided, and Sir Carrick Robertson, representing the doctors of Auckland, the meeting adopted with acclamation a resolution condemning the Bill in the same terms as that adopted by the Wellington Town Hall meeting a week earlier. It was also resolved that the resolution be conveyed to the Prime Minister with the ■request that the doctors be allowed to present their case through the broadcasting services. Reasons for condemning the Bill as' they were outlined in the Wellington resolution were: (a) The Government has not a mandate from the people for such a measure; (b) it infringes the rights of the subject, is dictatorial and coercive and unjust to members of the medical profession now serving overseas; (c) it spells nationalisation of the medical profession and means aboliof private enterprise; (d) it does nothing to promote national health or provide specialised treatment. The Wellington resolution then authorised a deputation to ask the Government to suspend the contemplated legislation pending further consideration with a view to providing a service that would meet more effectively the full requirements of the community.