LODGES AND MEDICAL BENEFITS.

Evening Star, Issue 23833, 13 March 1941, Page 12

LODGES AND MEDICAL BENEFITS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —As ti lodge member and secretary of a lodge I read with some amusement a letter m your paper to-night signed by the four heads of the biggest lodges in New Zealand. 1 would like to ask these gentlemen a question. What have they done to help the lodges in this matter.-' ft is a well-known fact that the lodges have gone back considerably since this Act came into force, which is quite understandable, as members object to paying twice for one object. My point is this: Have these gentlemen, who are so concerned about the doctors, ever approached the Minister concerned to see if the Social Security Department would be willing to pay the medical dues of lodge members? I believe if a conference had been held between the Minister and the Friendly Societies Council this would have come into force long ago, but the whole trouble is political, and as the heads of the friendly societies do not see eye to eye with the men who have brought in this beneficial Act nothing is done in this vital matter, and lodges are drifting along, losing members in great numbers every year and no new ones coming in. I have spoken to my lodge doctor, who told me that ho would be quite willing to fall in with the scheme in regard to the lodges, also the tickets or cards, but the big heads of the B.M.A. and the specialists were, against it. and therefore he had to. toe the line or scab on them. Again the political feeling governs the whole matter, and I venture to state that if the National Party when in power had brought 7 in this scheme and made the same proposals. to the B.M.A. it would have received them with open arms. I would suggest to those gentlemen who signed to-night’s letter to get busy employing ink in some more useful scheme on the lines I have suggested to help the lodges, op soon they won't have any lodges to represent. The only thing to save the friendly society movement is to get the Social Security Department to pay the doctors’ dues of the members as soon as possible, and they would be better serving tho lodges by getting this done. 1 believe ami know that Mr Sligo, of the 1.0.0. F., has done all he could to bring this about, but as to the United Council of Friendly Societies—nothing doing. If the council moved in this matter, as it should have done a year ago, surely something could be done. The last Minister of Health stated that there was nothing to stop the dues of lodge members being paid by the department; it was only a matter of getting together and considering a scheme. I ask these gentlemen, as members of the Friendly Societies Council, why was this not done? Which do they consider first, lodges or political views?—l am, etc., Lodge Member for 34 Years. March 11.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—-I was very amused to read a letter in to-night’s ‘ Star ’ . signed by the paid secretaries of various lodges warning members against joining the Social Security health scheme. It seems they are getting “jittery.” 1 have no knowledge of the advertisements to which they take exception, but 1 have a little knowledge of the average human being, and I think lie will not continue to pay into two funds for long for the same benefits. The letter speaks of doctors who have become endeared to their patients and vice versa. This may be true, but it cannot be said about lodge secretaries and their members. I have no recollection during my depression days of seeing a letter signed by these same secretaries advising members “up against it ” where they could get their stomachs filled or children clothed. The lodge fees were not even remitted in lots of cases, and hundreds of people dropped out of their lodges as the result of being unable to pay the dues. Others, who had been in for many years, were allowed to remain in, but had to sign forms that they would pay all (be money back when in re- : gular work. Some of these said lodges, even single lodges, have £IOO,OOO on their balance sheet. They arc now showing great concern lest their members be “ victimised ” by the health scheme. 'I have no doubt members will use their own intelligence; in fact, they have already done so. In one small suburb upwards of 200 have gone on to the health scheme, leaving the B.M.A. doctor to survey ruefully his patients’ quarterly sheet when next it arrives. No doubt the B.M.A. will willingly pay him the 22s per head ho lost by sticking to his 'Torycontrolled “ racket.” This scheme cannot help being a success, as is testified by the hundreds signing up with the doctors available, and the action of the public in continuing to sign up will soon let the B.M.A. doctors see that if they don’t fall into line with what the public wants they will be losing an assured living to their more far-seeing fellow-practitioners. Lodge members in general are not fools, and require no advice from paid secretaries, whose only thought is their banking accounts. A word as to doctors. In China doctors are paid according to the health of the community. If the health of the populace is good the doctors are paid accordingly; if not, it is for them to make it so, or they starve. I think this system could well be copied here for a while, judging by the size of our hospitals and the luxurious homes and cars of our medicos. The doctors seem to be worrying about late hours, no pensions, and no holidays, but they forget to mention that they can make innumerable visits to their wealthy patients, charge an exorbitant price for an operation for appendicitis (the poor old navvy can only afford to have stomach-ache, and from a financial point of view is hardly worth operating on unless from an experimental point of view). So Messrs Macfie, Sligo, and Co. would be well advised to leave the question of B.M.A. versus the people to the people: and, by the way, we are the lodges, the rank and file, and object to being dictated to by paid servants who are there but to do our bidding. I finish with a prophecy; If they don’t fall into line, Jamieson and Co. will soon be exchanging spats for bowyangs. 1 am afraid the spirit of Doctors Courageous is dead in our land. —I am, etc., Saw-bones. March 11.