HEALTH INQUIRY

Hokitika Guardian, 29 April 1938, Page 6

HEALTH INQUIRY

OFFER BY NURSES

(Per Press' Association—Copyright). J WELLINGTON, April 23.; | A review of the development of the\ New Zealand Registered Nurses’s Association and an. of its activities was given by Misses C. McKenny (p resident), J. Biclcnell (past president) and C. Clark (secretary) before the Superannuation National Health Committee this afternoon. The witnesses drew attention to the domiciliary nursing service the Association provided, and said that the Association would be prepared to extend this service to meet the requirements of -'the nursing service being considered in connection with the National Health Insurance Scheme. The Association requested, that . patients should be allowed the choice of a public or a private hospital, a, condition beng that the fee paid to the dwner of a private hospital should not exceed the public hospital charge. It was also requested that nurses, should be engaged through the Association’s oureaux, or through bureaux not run lor profit, and that a register should be kept of fully qualified nurses. The witnesses set mit a scale of,fees covering a nurse’s services.

DOUGLAS CREDIT PROPOSAL.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY. WELLINGTON, April 28. Payments to all persons over sixty, regardless of their private resources, and freedom from taxation in money to provide the necessary benefits, were suggested by Mr R. C. Davie, when -giving evidence on behalf of the Douglas Social Credit Movement.. Mr Dayie contended that the Government’s superannuation proposals did not go far .enough;,, either in the amount, receivable, or in its scope. It was very important to “declass” any benefits New Zealanders might receive ns a result of State action, and discrimination in the payments as proposed by the Government was contrary to the wishes of the majority of electors. • . . ■ -

. “Associations, of people in industry,, must result in' any group creatine; .an excess of production over consumption, Mr Davie continued. '.“lt is a.perfectly, sound procedure to monetise this -excess of production on a purely arbitrary basis and to pay superannuation from a fund to be established as a result of this procedure.” In conclusion Mr Davie said, “I would like to impress upon this Committee, and upon the Government that,, rightly or wrongly, there is a deep: rooted conviction throughout New, Zealand that taxation is already far too high, and that financial orthodoxy. is largely, if not wholly, responsible for the incidence.”

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE OFFER

WELLINGTON, April 28. A lengthy statement was submitted to the committee on superannuation by Mr G. S. Falconer, secretary of the St.John Ambulance. Association, outlining the work and aims of thp Association throughout the Dominion, and including a covering letter in which the Commap. dery in New Zealand of the order offers to the Government its full co-opera-tion in connection with ambulance transport and .district .nursing services, also in any other way the services of St. John organisation might, be utilised. NATIONAL PROVIDENT FUND. WELLINGTON, April 28. An exhaustive survey , of the National Provident Fund was given to the Superannuation Committee, in a statement submitted by Mr It. Sinel, Superintendent cf the Fund. The statement dealt with all the activities of the fund The statistics of the fund at December 31st. last showed, that active members under the main fund and superannuation sections totalled 28,950.