FOR SICK WORKERS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1149, 9 June 1911, Page 8

FOR SICK WORKERS.

SOME REQUESTS. VIEWS OF THREE MINISTERS. Tho Acting-Prime Minister (the Hon. J. Carroll), the Minister for Railways (die Hon. .T. A. Miljar), and the Minister iu charge of Hospitals ami Charitable Aid (the Hon. (.!. Fowlds) were yesterday depntationisjd by members of the Wellington Trades and Labour Council, headed by Mr. I). M'Laren, M.l>. The desire of the deputation, said Mr. M'Laren, was to obtain collections on the railways, and at the Government sanatoria, for sick workers. The matter concerned not only the workers, but those, dependent on them. Reduced railway fares to, anil concessions at, liotorua were especially desired. Expense Too Great. Mr. W. T. Young, president of the Trades and Labour Council, said there were a largo number of cases of sickness and injury which could only bo treated at liotorua, and often the sick men were unable to afford the expense. Concessions were granted on the railways to tourists, and season tickets were given at reduced fares, while to get to Kotorua a worker had to pay .CI 155., second-class. There ■were concessions made also to football and athletic teams, awl so on. Kotorua was owned by the Government, but the accommodation houses were privately owned, and Mr. Young suggested tho Government should establish an accommodation house for sick workers Ihere. Mr. Watson (president of the Carpenters' Union) urged that a small hostelry should be erected at liotorua for the benefit of workers. Mr. Carroll Uncertain. The Hon. J. Carroll .said he would submit the request regarding liotorua to the Minister-iu-Cliarge of Tourist- Resorts. Tho Minister was uncertain as to under what authority the concessions could be made, and in which way tho assistance could be granted. " It was a farther-reaching question than the matter of reducing railway faros. Lie did not know how far the Government could go beyond the Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards, who dealt with the cases of, poor people in need of help. What Is A Worker? The Hon. J. A. Millar said lie had every sympathy with the deputation, but he wanted to know how they were going to define a worker. They could define a worker for industrial purposes, but it' they considered tho fact that the railways were the property of the people as a whole, the request of the deputation amounted to asking for a permanent reduction for every person able to produce a doctor's certificate. Mr. M'Laren: "We define it as a person who is in need of help. Mr. Millar: That would mean any one of the population. It meant, lie added, a permanent reduction of railway charges lor any man employed in any calling who could produce a doctor's certificate. Mr. Watson: Providing they are out of moans. The Minister: If they are out of means, reductions are made, both nt the sanatoria and in railway fares, on tho certificate of the Charitable Aid Board. Mr. Young: Wo ask for a reduction for workers only. The Minister: Your definition of a worker must cover every, man whoso doetor's certificate says he will be benefited by treatment at the sanatorium. That includes Mount Cook, because (here arc cases which are not benefited by the Rotoriia treatment. Mr. Young: Could it not bo safeguarded by a certificate from the mail's employer, accompanied by a certificate from his medical attendant? The Minister: I wr.nl to know where this is going lo lead me. It practically means a permanent reduction of fares on a doctor's certificate. Mr. Young: It was not intended that this request should apply to the rich. They are quite able to pay for it. There are thousands of employees who como under the definition "worker." The Hon. G. Fowlds: There may he people who are not employed at all, but who are" in need of such assistance. Must Bo Carefully Considered, Mr. Millar said, that the matter would have to be gone into carefully. There were six free beds at Kotorua and when there was a vacant bed a man who went up on a charitable aid certificate got it. Mr. M'Laren spake of the objection men had to going before the charitable aiil boards. Mr. Millar said it was entirely a qiieslion of whether t'hey had a right to give to one section of tho community a privilege not extended to others, seeing that the community in general owned the railways. At present all sorts of excuses were being made to lake advantage of the existing concessions. He would go into the matter. As far as the season ticket's wore concerned, every individual in the Dominion hart the samo right to them. The railways he.il to he worked on a business footing, and tho Government had a perfect right to do anything that would benefit trade. Mr. Fowlds's Views. The Hon. G. Fowlds said the matters referred to by the deputation did not came within the c copo of the Health Department'. The Department made, concessions in (he ease of persons sent to its institutions by the hospital boards, and it seemed to him if the suggestions were carried out duplication would take place, because tho Government had not I'lie means frr ascertaining whether a ease was genuine or not, whereas tho hospital boards possessed the necessary machinery. Non-Drinkers and Non-Smokers. Mr. Watson said there were frequently members of charitable aid boards who bad a bias in a particular direction. They were non-smokers or non-drinkers, anil (hey revrr lost e.n opportunity of rubbing it into any individual they got before them, whether there was a necessity or not. and the consequence was that some peanlo r->Hior than submit to such treatment ""."Id not annear before them. "J. myself." be said, "wen'd rather die n tb"U'">nd r 1 enths; and I fcnmv that is the feeling "f a very large section of tho community." Mr. M'T.-ai'"" said be had b«en a moml>?r of the CharitnWo Airl Board for a ni'-ifcor of years and he knew porfer"<well that some of the mo=t acute cases of distress had not come before the board,

and would not come before it, because of the innalo objection to receiving assistance by way of charily. They could not get over the fact that that was a trait of the British race that had to be respected, and the imputation urged that some special fund should be established to meet these special cases.