HOSPITAL BOARD RELIEF.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 208, 2 September 1932, Page 3

HOSPITAL BOARD RELIEF.

MINISTER DEFINES POSITION. "SOME CONFLICT OF VIEWS." (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON", Thursday. The Government considers that hospital boards should deal with applications for the relief of unemployed men classed as 82, those not fit for camp but fit for light work in the town only, according to a statement defining the position made by the Minister of Health, the Hon. J. A. Young, to-day. It is held, however, that the Unemployment Board's officers should find work for these men wherever possible. "At present there is some conflict of views between the Unemployment Board and certain hospital boards throughout the Dominion as to the responsibility for relief men deemed unfit for camp, but fit for light work,'" said Mr. Young. "These men are classified as B2 on the reports of hospital boards' medical officers, and the majority of the nien are suffering some physical incapacity, permanent or temporary. Following the receipt of a copy of a circular out by the Hospital Boards' Association embodying the decision of the Unemployment Board, the Health Department circularised boards requesting them to deal with B2 and C men, the latter being described as men unfit for work of any kind. There is hardly any question that the hospital boards have better machinerv for dealing with this class. "The institution of special relief for B2 men appears to present peculiar difficulty," Mr. Young continued, "and to put them to work alongside fit men is not advisable. 'In normal times these B2 men, when at the end of their resources and unable to find employment, would be entitled to look to the hospital boards for relief. Even in these stressful days the numbers of B2 men in several centres are believed to be not so Teat as to cauee serious embarrassment to the finances of hospital boards. "The Government considers hospital boards should deal with applications for relief from all men classed as 82," said jlr. Young. "Should a board find itself embarrassed, it can, in the ordinary course, make representations to the Government for consideration. I recognise, however, that the Unemployment BoaTd must, whene'ver possible, cooperate with hospital boards in endeavouring to find suitable work for B2 men. In the event of local authorities finding suitable relief work for any of these men, the Unemployment Board would then take over the responsibility of paying them relief rates of pay, thus for the time being absolving hospital boards from liability."