THE REV. F.H. LONG AND MEDICAL FEES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7974, 14 June 1887, Page 6

THE REV. F.H. LONG AND MEDICAL FEES.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —No person could show worse grace in any communication to the public Frees than has the Rev. F. H. Long, in his letter in your Saturday's issue, complaining of doctors' charges, nor could any writer show more ignorance of a subject. A clergyman should be one of the laat to publicly complain of doctors' charges, as it is well known that doctors seldom charge clergymen consultation fees, and make no charges to them, beyond, perhaps, the mere cost of medicine ; therefore, I say the letter in question, coming from a member of the clerical cloth, is not only ungracious, but displays also a piece of conceited ignorance. In the first place, doctors' fees are lower in Auckland than in any other large city south of the line. Nearly 50 per cent, lower than the fees charged in Invercargill, Dunedin, Chrietchurch, or Wellington, and 100 per cent, lower than fees charged in Australia. Such being a fact, I cannot see on what grounds anyone of a civilian nature can complain of Auckland doctors' high charges, and the more especially a clergyman. The Rev. Mr. Long thinks it detectable tbat a dootor hae started to praoitiae in Auokland who has reduced the scale of medical fees to English rates—viz., 2a 6d for advice and medicine. Such a scale is not the rule in England, except perhaps amongst some few low class men. and such are equally found in all professions and trades, and whose advice, indeed, would be dear even at 2s 6d, either with or without medicine. "Oh, tell it not in Gath," —but, oh God, keep me from such medicine. An old adage says, medicine " is the art of killing people without necessitating the interference of the police." Another aphoristic saying is, " Truth is the only thing that can't be improved upon." but, my word upon it, what about the 2s 6d advice, with medioine included ? O let me die direot, or if I am compelled to take something to save an inquest, give me New Zealand colonial wine—au eeneux. Those uiedioal men ranking above the Boeotian clasß in England met in conclave about IS monthft since and raised the consultation fee from £1 Is to £2 2a—a fact! The Auckland fee, and often with medioine, is ss, seldom 10e, except under peculiarly special circumstances ; and mudicine in New Zealand, as is nearly everything else, is one hundred per cent, dearer than in the old country. Where, therefore, does his reverence get his notions from ? Let the Rev. F. H. Long, of ht. John's parsonage, Northcote, set the example by reducing his cure charges to the English low-olass dole. He reminds one partly of Oliver Goldsmith's village preacher : A man he was to all the country dear, And passing rich wit!: forty pounds & year. I am, &c, Peramjb'Jlatob. June 13, 1887.