HEALTH INQUIRY

Hokitika Guardian, 28 April 1938, Page 6

HEALTH INQUIRY

FURTHER EVIDENCE

\Per Press Association —Copyright).

\Per Press Association —uopyrigmj. WELLINGTON, April 27. A statement was presented to the Parliamentary superannuation national health by J. P. S. Jamieson, presid- ( ent of the New Zealand branch of the j British Medical Association and chairman of the National Health Insurance Committee of the same body. Mr Jamieson stated the association desired that so far as practicable, obstacles to obtaining the necessary ser- 1 vice should be removed wherever they existed, in order that everyone should have access to complete necessary medical attention. It was considered, however, that to maintain that end it was neither necessary nor desirable to restrict the freedom of people to seek their medical attention as and where . they preferred, nor was it desirable that individual responsibility in tins matter should be lessened or abolished. .In “any steps we take,” the statement continued, “we should keep our feet on the firm ground of experience and direct attention, first to needs which are greater, and employ methods which are related to practical requirements a fid not to political expediancy.” All were agreed that the promotion of Health was a greater object than the treatment of sickness, and that prevention was better than cure. Giving evidence to-day before the Select Committee on national health j and superannuation, Sir W. D. Hunt ' (chnirmiifi and administrator of Wright Stephenson’s and Company’s pensions and benevolent funds) said the administrators thought it would be a definite hardship if its contributors were compelled to pay to A national scheme and then have benefits from it largely cancelled out, because of the benefits they obtained from their Company’s scheme. An equitable basis for adjustment would be' tb exempt contributors to the Company’s fund, from payment to the national scheme, of Is in the pound on their salaries, arid from participation in any rights to a national pension. As taxpayers, they would be subscribing to the riatiorial scheme through contributions made to it from the consolidated fund and the superannuation to follow. Mr Nash said if the administrators of the fund were asking for a proportionate exemption, that would seem to be legitimate, but they were askirig for ejteinption from other things. The increased pensions payment proposed would involve less than threepence from the Is in the pound tax. Mr Nordttnjyer :‘ Are you of the opinion that , the business world generally would Welcome a schettie .. similar to ■yours?.’;.;'- . ' Mr Nash: they should. Would yOu be behind the Government if the Government instituted such a scheme. Mr Nash: If if where a scheme on . lines of my Company’s.