HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 129, 27 November 1909, Page 7

HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID

"SOLVING A MOST INTRICATE PROBLEM." BILL PASSES ITS FINAL STAGES. The Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Bill passsd its final stages last night. The Minister in charge of the Bill (Hon. G. Fowlds) said ho desired to thank members on both sides of the House for having sunk party prejudices for the purpose of assisting him to put the Bill through. It was a most intricate problem to deal with, and even now he did not claim that perfection had been reached. They had done something, however, towards solving wihat had been one of the most serious questions in all parts of the Old World, and he believed! tho new measure would have the effect of checking many of the evils apparent in older countries. When put into operation, the provisions of the Act would make hospital and charitable aid administration more effective and more economical. Greater responsibilities and greater powers would devolve upon the Boards. It gave them a hold upon those circumstances which provoked indigence and Eickness. The committea system, provided for in the new measure would, he believed, have a very food and far-reaching effect. It would ring every portion of a hospital di&trict into touch with the centres. Tho committees would be divided over three classe* of work — public, institutions, social welfare, and public health. On those three committees, which it was ■possible for the boards to set up, he hoped to see women take am active part. The Social Welfare Committee would, ihe hoped, include representatives of all .private charitacble bodies, so that there ■would be no overlapping or duplication. On the Public Health Committee it would be also desirable to have local public bodies' chairmen as ex ofircio members, since they would be the eyes of the board in seeing that unhealthy conditions were not allowed to prevail. The measure had meant a great deal of care and attention, but he believed that it would be found to eplve satisfactorily w*hat had always been a perplexing question in the past.