MEDICAL BILL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 23 September 1941, Page 7

MEDICAL BILL

ADDRESS BY DR TREIIEY INTERFERENCE HELD UNWARRANTED New Plymouth, Sept. 22. “Man is older than the State and oc eupational groups, such as doctors, are also older than the State, and the State j has no more right to suppress those groups than it. has to suppress it -! self,” said Dr H. F. Trehey, in an ad dress to the New Plymouth Rotary , Club to-day. Dr Trehey is Director of Catholic Action for the Archdiocese of Wellington. Dr Trehey said that if occupational groups were functioning properly and efficiently all was well with the State and interference from the State was justified only when the activities of an occupational group began to encroach on the general welfare of the nation. The medical profession had offered suf ficient evidence of its ability and willingness to meet the situation and there fore interference by the State was un warranted. "The real function of Government ' is that of watching, directing, stimulating and, if circumstances make it no- ! cessary, restraining,” Dr Trehey de- | dared. “Government in itself is a full- j time job and I feel that they do not i possess the right to interfere with an | occupational group such as doctors j who are belter fitted to express opin- | ions on health matters than are poli- j ticians.” Continued interference with occupa- ! tional groups could only result in j State Socialism of a totalitarian type, i and it was against this that the Em- i pire was lighting its present war. { "Catholic social philosophy contends that though the State must have power ! to correct abuses in occupational | groups, its real function is to co-ordin- | ate them for the common good.” con-j eluded Dr Trehey.