HELP IN SICKNESS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 136, 9 June 1911, Page 3

HELP IN SICKNESS.

PLEA FOR THE WORKERS. I (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) | WELLINGTON, Thursday. A deputation, representing the Wellington Trades and Labour Council, waited upon Ministers to-day, and urged that the Government should grant sick workers concessions in the matter of railway fares and fees at Rotorua. It was urged that a very Jnrge number of cases of sickness and injury required treatment that could only he given at Rotorua, and, unfortunately, the men concerned had not money to pay their railway fare. Hon. .Tames Carroll said it seemed to him that tho question was one that went far beyond what could be fettled by individual concessions. The question had a deeper root than that, and it was one that he would like to see properly investigated by trades councils and bodies which made provision for the poor. In what way. hn asked, could the Government grant monetary a.ssitanco? The mere matter of reducinf; fares would not settle this great question. Hon. ,T. A. Millar expressed his sympathy with the deputation, but wanted to know how they were going to define a worker. Mr. McLaren: We define a worker in this case as a person who is in want of health. The Minister: That definition of a worker must cover every man whose doctor's certificate says he would be benefited by sanatorium treatment. Continuing. Mr. Millar said it was a question whether they had the right to give to a -section of the community a privilege which was not given to every other section, as that community in question owned the railways. Tt was. he added, a question of whether they were ftoing to make this confession genprnl. The matter would receive, careful consideration.