FRIENDLY SOCIETIES. TREATMENT OF MEMBERS IN HOSPITALS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 135, 4 December 1909, Page 9

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES. TREATMENT OF MEMBERS IN HOSPITALS.

LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS VETOED. CLAUSE TIIROWN OUT. A long and interesting discussion took plaoe in the Legislative Council yesterday on clause 72 of the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Bill, which gives hospital boards the right to enter into agreements with friendly societies for the treatment of friendly society members at such institutions on special terms. The Hon. O. Samuel objected to the inclusion of the clause in the Bill. He recognised, he said, that the friendly societies were doing a grand and noble work, and that they had relieved the state of many obligations, ,but it was wiong to legislate for a section of the community. The Hon. G. J. Smith took a similar view. Why not accord the same privileges to labour unions, all of which were just as anxious to look after their sick or poor as the friendly societies, and many of whicn had sick benefit funds? In his opinion the clause should be struck out. . The Hon. J. B. Callan also announced that lie would vote against the clause in its present shape. There was no need whatever for the clause. Lodges could make terms for payment for individual members treated at a hospital. The Hon. J. M'Gowan considered the clause a blemish on the whole Bill, and before he would vote for it he would see the whole Bill sacrificed. Friendly societies were unions, and why should not all unions be given a prefer-c-nce if the principle of preference was to be conceded. Chronic cases would be foisted on the hospitals wholesale. The Hon. H. Baldey also condemned the clause. The Hon. C. M. Luke thought the clause 'would have a bad effect. If it were passed, all sorts of combination* would demand similar concessions. The honorary staffs would soon cease to exist, and the hospitals would be faced with the necessity of meeting a largely increased expenditure. At the Wellington Hospital at present the paid medical staff consisted of one superintendent and three juniors. Tho honorary staff consisted of eight doctors, who were in attendance every day, threu consulting doctors, one ophthalmic surgeon, and one dental surgeon. x Thee Attorney-General defended the clause. He said that no one would deny the heroic independence of friendly societies in all parts of the world and their abhorrence of "sponging" in any shape or lorm. The clause was not intended to give members of friendly societies better conditions than should be given, but to place in the coffers of the country a larger amount than would otherwise be received. At present half, or at all events one-third, of the members of a friendly society who went into a hospital did not pay. That showed the advantage the country would receive by passing the clause. Dr. Collins : Can't they pay without passing a clause like this?. Dr. Findlay : No ; they have po power. He went on to say that the average sum paid in the hospitals for beds did not exceed £10 per annum. Recently, in Dunedin, Mr. Peter Miller, a prominent member, asked that six beds should be set aside, and effere 1 to pay £40 for each, or a total of £240 per annum. The clause was prompted by - the fact that members of friendly societies did not want to figure as paupers when they were treated at a hospital. If the friendly societies came forward and said : "We don't want to be 'spongers' ; we want to pay our way, and pay three times more than yon now receive from your beds," "why should power not be given 'them to, do so, provided that provision were made that friendly society members were not to be given a prelerence over other people ? It would be monstrous if they were given a preference and flooded an institution. He proposed to move a proviso, n.aking it clear that no agreement should give preference to applicants for admission to a hospital who were friendly society members over other applicants. The Hon. J. R. Sinclair declared that the proviso would give preference with a vengeance. It simply reduced the question to one of pounds, shillings and pence. The Hon. J. T. Paul thought tne proviso to be added to the clause would iurnish any,, safeguard that might be required. ' The Hon. George Jones also strongly supported the clause. Tne Hon. W. Beehan emphasised some arguments put forward by Dr. Findlay. All thi) friendly societies wanted, he said, was to pay something to the hospitals. Some time ago an agreement was made at Auckland between the friendly societies and the hospital authorities. When a member was in hospital the society had to pay two sets of fees — one to the hospital and the other to the lodge doctors. No chronic case ever went to the hospital under the agreement. The friendly societies were saving the country a great deal of money, and the clause did not give them half what they deserved. To throw out the clause meant that the hospital would have to put up with a severe loss. It would also mean that the friendly societies, with 55,000 members, would set up their own hospitals. The societies would defy the British Medical Association. The Hon. H. F. Wigram considered the weight of argument was against the clause. The Hon. Dr. Collins moved to strike out the opening clause, in, order to test the feeling c# the council on the principle. / After a long discussion a division was taken, and Dr. Collins's amendment was carried by 18 votes to 13, and the clause was killed. The division list was as follows :—: — For the amendment (18)— Callan, Luke, Carncross, Gilmer, Baillie, Collins, Marshall, Johnston, Miller, G. J. Smith, Stevens, George, M'Lean, Thompson, Wigram, M'Gowan, Sinclair, Samuel. Against the amendment (13)— Findlay, R'gg) Jenkinson, Beehan, Lou<*hnan, Kelly, Mills, Trask, Paul, Jones, Tucker, M'Cardle, Anstey. OTHER AMENDMENTS. A new clause (82a) was added, making provision for the union of two or more hospital districts. Another clause was also adaed, at the instance of the Attorney-General, giving teachers and students of a medical school the right of access, to institutions under control of a board. At the instance of the AttorneyGeneral, sub-section 2 of schedule *5 (governing the control of the Waimate hospital) was altered. The committee of management, by virtue of the alteration, will consist of two members elected by the South Canterbury Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, five by the electors of the county of Waimate, and two by the electors of the borough' of Waimale. Various unimportant amendments were made in tho other schedules, and the Bill waa reported with amendment*. The Hon. C. M, Luke moved to re-

commit the Bill for consideration of sub-clause 3, clau&e 61, which requires the consent of the Minister before the board can commence the erection of any building costing more than £250. — This was lost on the voices. The Bill was then read a third time and passed. The Oounc.il rose at 5.30 p.m. ANOTHER BILL. AN IMPORTANT AMENDMENT. Rome important amendments to the existing Jaw are made in the Friendly Societies Act, which was brought down by Governor's Message yesterday. The old provision relating to "specially authorised" societies have been restored, and societies may include among their objects the guarantee of the fidelity of their officers and servants. The most important provision is on similar lines to those proposed in a previous measure, namely, that in future no society or branch is to be registered unless the rates of contributions shown in the rules are certified by an actuary. Any existing society or branch having an adequate scale of contributions may, on application to the Registrar, obtain an actuarial certificate to that effect. No society or branch wiJJ be allowed to register an« amendment of its rules until an actuary has reported that the amendment does not adversely affect the soundness o* the society or branch. As to powers of investment it is provided that trustees, when investing money on mortgage of land or buildings, must not advance more than a fixed proportion of the value of the security, and if any benefit funds are in future invested in the purchase of land or the erection or alteration of buildings, the trustees must not advance more than a fixed proportion of the value of the security, and if any benefit fundb are in future invested in the purchase of land or the erection or alteration of buildings wholly or partly occupied by the society 'or branch, a specified rate of in'terest — 4 per cent. — must be guaranteed by the society or branch. Money payable by a society to a member or on the death of. a member is protected against creditors, and the provisions for inspection and the settlement of disputes have been extended in accordance with the English and New South Wales Acte.