HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID

Evening Star, Issue 14226, 27 November 1909, Page 1

HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID

BILL PASSES THROUGH THE HOUSE. [h kom Ouu Parliamentary Reporter.] f WELLINGTON, November 27. The Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Bill passed its third and final reading lastnight. The Minister in charge of the Bill (the Hon. G. Fowlds) said he desired to thank members on both sides of the House for their congratulations and for having sunk party prejudices for the purpose of assisting him to pul the Bill through. It was a most intricate problem to deal with, and even now he did not claim that perfection had been reached. 'J hey had done something, however, towards solving what had been one of the most serious questions in all parts of the Old World, and he believed the new measure would have the effect of chock? ing i’.»ny the evils apparent in older countries. When put into operation the provisions of tho 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 sickness. The committee system provided for in the new measure would,-he believed, have a very good and far-reaching effect. It would" briim every portion of a hospital district into touch with the centres. The committees would he divided over three classes of work—public institutions, social welfare, and public health. On these three committees which it was possible for the boards to set up he hoped to see women fake an active part. The Social Welfare Committee would, he hoped, include representatives of all private cliaritabl© bodies, so that there would he no overlapping or duplication on the Public Health Committee. It would be also desirable to have local public bodies’ chairmen as ex-officio members, since they would be the eyes of tho 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 solve satisfactorily what had always been a perplexing question in the past." * °