MEDICAL SERVICE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 23 September 1941, Page 2

MEDICAL SERVICE

fTo the Editor] Sir, —Grace Fox and other correspondents who have recently expressed in “The Mail” their approval of the , attitude of the B.M.A. against free universal medical service as provided by the Social Security Act should bear in mind that New Zealand is a democratic country ruled by the authority oi the majority of the people qualified to vote for members of Parliament, and (hat the present Labour Government v as elected by the votes of a big majority of all the electors of the Dominion at the last general election, the , first time in the history of New Zealand that any Government had been elected by a majority of the electors. The correspondents referre to should also be reminded that the Social Security Act was the principal plank of the ; Labour Party’s policy as clearly an- ) , nounccd during the last general election, and that free medical service is a very important part of that Act of Parliament, which service all taxpayers i have been paying for during the last j four years, since the Social Security 1 Act became the law of the land. U th2 E.IV2.A. er ai\v ether few elec-

tors were allowed to flout the law or ignore an Act of Parliament, what ir.ight be the consequence? The Social Security Act, 1938, is generally admitted to be the most humane measure of social legislation ever enacted by any government or country in the world. It seems that the B.M.A. doctors object to being servants of the State under the Social Security Act. Yet a number of B.M.A. members are now acting as servants of the State. Doctors who have been medical superintendents of public hospitals never objected to being servants of the State, receiving adequate emolument. Therefore why should they object now? Obviously such objection is illogical and unreasonable. seeing that provision is made for adequate remuneration to doctors for all services rendered, and no bad debts under the Act. —I am, etc., H. G. BERRYMAN. Nelson. 22nd Septembe.