RATIONS QUESTION

Grey River Argus, 30 June 1932, Page 6

RATIONS QUESTION

HOSPITALS’ OBJECTION To Unemployment Board’s Attitude (Per Press Association),--' CHRISTCHURCH, June 29. “If any Hospital Board adminis tered relief in the same way as the Unemployment Board is doing, it would bo bankrupt in a few months. The Unemployment Board seems to have undertaken the work without consulting any Hospital Board for its advice, although the Hospital Boards have had years of such experience.” The foregoing statement was made by the Secretary of the North Canterbury Hospital Board, Mr W. S. Wharton, when asked what was the attitude of the Board on the rations question. Mr Wharton said that, during the Conference of Hospital Boards in Wellington recently, an endeavour was made to get the Chairman of the Unemployment Board to give a definite statement as to the Board’s intentions concerning the issue of rations to employable men, but, up to the present, no such statement had been forthcoming. It was hoped that, as the result of the attitude being taken up by the Auckland Board and other Boards, the Unemployment Board would be forced into the open, and made to declare what exactly it intended to do. Hospital Rations AUCKLAND, June 29. A crisis appears to be developing in regard to the issue of rations by Hospital Boards. To bring the matter to a head, the Chairman (Mr Wallace) has circularised all Boards suggesting from to-morrow, no further assistance be given to any employable man, married or single. It is suggested that the Prime Minister should take up the matter with the Unemployment Board. Rations Stopped BY WELLINGTON BOARD. WELLINGTON, June 29. “We have already practically discontinued the granting of relief to able bodied work less men,’’ said Mr l’\ Castle, Chairman of the Wellington Hospital Board, when interviewed this evening. “Briefly,” he said, “the position here is that, where the Government has completed its machinery for providing complete relief, we have stopped issuing rations. It has not quite completed arrangements at Lower Hutt, but so far as we are concerned, the issuing of rations will cease to-morrow.” “A point of difference has arisen—as to when a man is fit. We are in touch with the Board regarding the class known as B2 men, who are borderline cases. We consider the Board should accept this responsibility. The question has not quite been settled.’