PUBLIC HEALTH

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 12, 8 October 1921, Page 8

PUBLIC HEALTH

treatment of tubercular DISEASE MEMBERS WANT IMPROVED PROVISION THE MINISTER’S VIEW When the report of the Hospitals Commission reached the House of Hcpresentatives yesterday afternoon, a general discussion arose with regard to public health matters. Members wanted to know what the Minister intended to do about hospital subsidies, and they had suggestions to make concerning the provision of consumptive sanatoria and the investigation of cancer. Dr. Thacker (Christchurch East) said that there were tubercular people who r/cre a danger to public health. The sanatoria and the dispensaries hod done a lot of good work, but. there was not adequate provision in New Zealand for the sufferers from tubercular disease. He suggested that more attention should be paid to the segregation of tubercular cases. Mr. A. S. Malcolm (Clutha) thought that the Government should establish a .national sanatorium where cases of all kinds could be treated. The Defence Do. partinent had done particularly good work among the returned soldiers, and similar methods might well be adopted by the Health Department. The Defence authorities had instructed qualified returned men to look out for cases of incipient tubercular disease, and it was surprising how manv cases they had discovered and assisted. Everything that could be done to check the spread of consumption ought to be done. Mr. J. A. Hanan (Invercargill) said that expenditure on the checking of consumption would give an immediate return. Indifference and neglect had disastrous consequences. It was simply criminal to be lax. in the enforcement of reasonable precautions on the part of people who were in a condition to transmit tubercular disease to others. With regard to causes, ho had an idea that the ’inspection of meat was not quite as exacting as it should be. Dr. Thacker: The rabbits full of hydatids, and there is no inspection at all. Mr. Hanan did not see quite how an inspection of rabbits could be undertaken. He suggested that people injured their health by drinking very hot tea, and he asked for increased precautions against the admission of immigrants suffering from infectious disease. The Minister’s Reply. The Minister of Health (Mr. Parr), iu the course of his reply, said that the discussion had wandered from the subject matter of tho report. The commission had been appointed to advise the Government chiefly in regard to the payment of subsidies. Members would have ample opportunity to discuss the recommendations of tho commission when the Bill based on those recommendations was introduced. He did not say that tho Government was going to adopt all the recommendations, but many of them were of n nature to warrant legislation, and a Bill embodying some of the recommendations was now being drawn. Provision might be made for the abolition of one or two of the smaller hospital districts, but ho had not made up his irand_on the point. Turning to the question of consumption, the Minister said that a great deal had been done in this country already to check tubercular disease. Several sanatoria were working under the Health Department, and were giving very satisfactory results in tho treatment of tubercular disease. The Pukeora sanitorium, built for tha soldiers, had been handed over to the Health Department, and was already ac, commodating nearly 100 male civilian patients. He thought that eventually it would ,be able to take all tha male patients from the North Island. There was an excellent institution for women at Otaki. He recognised that the provision that had been made in the South Island was not adequate. The Government decided last year that it was the duty of tho Government and tho hospital boards to provide an additional institution in the South Island, and a site had been chosen in Central Otago. Dealing with another point that had been raised by members in the course of the discussion, the Minister said that he recognised it wns harmful and undesirable that persons suffering from tubercular disease should be allowed to roam about the country, use public conveyances, and stay at hotels and boardinghouses. Tho general community ran risks from this cause. But it was difficult to suggest a remedy that could be applied effectively. ’To take charge of every man and woman suffering from consumption would involve legislation, and he did not know that any country had gone as far as that. Ho was prepared to admit that the interests of. the Dominion might require some legislation that would enable the Health Department and tho. hospital authorities to control in some efficient manner those people who were a danger to their neighbours.

As for cancer, he did not think that New Zealand could do much in tho way of research. The best medical skill nnd scientific knowledge wore being brought to bear upon the problem in tho older countries, and the New Zealand Health Department was keeping in touch with the results.

BACON AND PORRIDGE PROFITEERING SUGGESTED. The fact that bacon is costing as much ns Is. pound, while the farmers are getting from 7d. to 9d. per pound for pork was mentioned in the House of Representatives by Mr. H. Poland (Ohinemuri). The member thought that the apparent disparity ■ ought to engage the attention of the Board of Trade. It appeared that the price of bacon was much too high. The Hon. E. P. Lee stated that the Board of Trade would make inquiry. Mr. G. Witty (Riccarton) then.' mentioned the price of the other breakfast staple. He said that tho price of oats had fallen until the farmers were getting scarcely anything. But the pried of oatmeal had not changed, and undoubtedly was far too high. * The Minister again promised that the Board of Trade would inquire. LOANS FOR POWER BOARDS ' A MEMBER'S SUGGESTION. The question of raising money for tho power boards which are being formed in Now Zealand was brought up by Mr. J. A. Nash (Palmerston) in the House yesterday. Mr. Nash asked whether the Minister of Public Works would confer with tho Minister of Finance with tho object of reaching an arrangement for the joint raising of loans on the London market. Power boards, ho said, worn becoming active at the pre-ent time, and they would wish to get on with their work and begin to order «uch things as poles and tho other requisites for reticulation. Tho Southland board hod already gone on tho London market with a State guarantee, and he felt that if the Minister would give his suggestion serious consideration it would ho very helpful, and the boards would bo able to raise tho money on much better forms than if each board acted for itself. The Minister of Public M'orks Him Hon. J. G. Coates) replied lhat he would bo pleased to confer with the Minister ot Finance as suggested.

MAINTENANCE ORDERS ENFORCEMENT FACILITIES BILL READ A SECOND TIME Tho second reading of the Maintenance Orders (Facilities for Enforcement) Bill was moved by the Minister of Justice (the Hon. E. P. Lee) in the House last night. Air. Loo explained that the Bill brought the New Zealand legislation into line with the Imperial statute. It gave facilities for the enforcement of maintenance orders made under the Destitute Persons Act. Clause 3 provided for the enforcement in New Zealand of any maintenance Older made out of New Zealand, upon the filing in the Magistrate s Court of a certified copy of the order. Clause 4 provided for the making in New Zealand of provisional maintenance orders against persons resident in the United Kingdom or any other part of His Majesty’s Dominions. Such provisional orders were dependent for their operation oh confirmation by a competent Court in the place where, the defendant was. Clause 5, adapted from the corresponding provisions of a section of the Imperial Act, provided for the confirmation in New Zealand of provisional maintenance orders made elsewhere within the Empire. The Bill conferred on the Gov-*rnor-General-in-Council power to make regulations for facilitating conununication, between Courts and generally for the purpose of giving effect to the Act. There was one clause which was somewhat new. There was some doubt whether for the purposes of a maintenance order the surrender value of a life. policy could be attached. Under the Life Insurance Act life policies were not available for the payment of debts. Now the Government proposed to make the interest in the life policy liable for the maintenance order. When the Bill camo to the Committee Stage, further clauses would bo introduced to provide the necessary machinery for the collection of maintenance moneys from persons against whom orders were made. The Minister gave the member for Waitemata (Mr. Harris) credit for the great interest he ha.cl taken in promot?ng such legislation as was now before the House. Mr. A. S. Malcolm (CTutha) also congratulated Mr. Harris. Several members voiced their general approval of the Bill. Mr. G. Witty (Riccarton) being particularly warm m his approbation. , ~ , Mr H. E. Holland (Buller) urged that the State ought to make provision for deserted wives and children, and should see that adequate maintenance was provided for the dependants of men who had been sent to gaol. He cited in illustration of his argument, the case of a man who- married three women and deserted them all. ' . Stockades for the confinement of wife deserters were the suggestion of Mr. L. M. Isitt (Christchurch North), who wished to see these mon forced to work for the support of their wives and children. The State should relentlessly track them down, and then keep them on bread and water if they refused to work. The Bill was read a second time and referred to the Statutes .Revision .Committee. EXPORT TRADE IN BACON A CHANCE FOR NEW ZEALAND. Sir John Luke in the House of Representatives yesterday called the attention of the Prime Minister to the amount of bacon annually imported into the United Kingdom. He' said that in tho year 1918 the value of the bacon imported was .£90,0(10,000, and in the year 1919 .£73,500,000. Would tho Prime Minister, he inquired, take steps to encourage an export trade in bacon from this country to the United Kingdom? Mr. Massey replied that ho had been forcibly reminded on various occasions of the'size of the frade in bacon. He knew that if was tremendous, and far greater than many realised in this country. Very large quantities of bacon,were continually being imported into Britain from the United States,- and he thought it a good suggestion that a New Zealand trade should be encouraged. He would be very glad to direct to the matter the attention of the Department concerned, and to have all possible inquiries made so that the people of New Zealand might know of tho opportunity that existed for trade in a commodity which was already -produced m large quantities in this country, and which miHit. in his opinion, ho produced on an’indefinitely larger scale.