MEDICAL CONSCRIPTION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16670, 15 October 1917, Page 4

MEDICAL CONSCRIPTION

PROPOSAL AT A DEADLOCK.

QUESTION OF CONTROL

An announcement was made in the House of Representatives on Thursday by the Hon. G. W. Russell, Minister for Public Health, that the negotiations between the British Medical Association and the Government for the conscription of the medical service of New Zealand had come to a deadlock. The Minister made no explanation, but it is stated that the deadlock has ensued because Mr. Russell desires i that the doctors, when conscripted, shall be under the control of his Department. To this course the British Medical Association refuses to agree. It contends that a* the proposal is purely a war measure the doctors should be under the control of the Defence Department. The proposal for the conscription of doctors camo voluntarily from the British Medical Association. It believes that if the war continues for a much longer period, and doctors continue to go to the front, ■ the voluntary system for the supply of medical men for military work will sooner or later fail, and, in addition, the public needs in some centres'in the Dominion will suffer. A Bill providing for the conscription of medical men presented to Cabinet by the Minister for Public Health was rejected. The association, therefore, drew up a Bill, and this also was rejected, The Minister's BUI was a confidential document. That prepared by the association provided that the whole of the medical men in New Zealand, irrespective of age, should be subject to a ballot. A committee, consisting of the six members of tne I association's advisory board and one repreI sentative of the Defence Department and lone of the Public Health Department, was ' then to bo appointed to allocate the doctors drawn in the ballot, so many to the Defence Department for military work, so many to the Public Health Department, and so many for service among the civilian population in Ihose districts depleted of doctors since the commencement of the

war. It was not proposed to furnish men for service in those districts depleted of, or not served by, medical men prior to the war. If, for instance, six Auckland doctors were drawn in the ballot they would be allocated in tho manner indicated, and their work. in Auckland would be divided among the medical men remaining. The opinion is held that tho public needs of the Dominion generally have not, so far, suffered by doctors going to the war, although some districts are not being served to the extent desirable. The association's proposal for conscription was intended to remain in force for the duration of the war and during the period of demobilisation. It is stated that there is not the slightest hope of the doctors of New Zealand being willingly conscripted under the Public Health Department. . It is considered that to import doctors from America would not be fair to those New Zealand doctors who have gone to 1 the war, even if the services of Americans were _ available. The suggestion thai I American .doctors should be brought here and given appointments under the Government is also discountenanced by medical men, on the ground that after the completion of their term of office it would be competent for the imported doctors to establish themselves in "ivate practice, and the men who are at the front probabl* would come back finding that their places and also their practices had been taken over by outsiders.

ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES.

NEW EDEN CONSTITUENCY.

.EFFECT OF ALTERATIONS. Discussing recent alterations to electoral boundaries, Mr. C. J. Parr, member for Eden, stated on Saturday that the creation of three new seats in the,. North Island and the loss of a similar number in the South was an eloquent sign of the tendency of the population to move northwards. His old district of Eden had been divided into two. About one-half had gone into the new district of Roskill, and to the remaining half had been joined several country districts, extending as far as the Kaipara. .The boundary between the two was the Edendale Road. Two hotels Kumeu and Rivorhead—were affected, and had been brought; into the new district of Eden.

Mr. Parr said that on the whole Parliament was fairly well satisfied with the new boundaries, although there were several anomalies here and there, especially in the South Island. " I expect one result of the increase of Parliamentary power in the North Island will be a more vigorous public works policy, especially. in connection with the Trunk Railways and the opening up of new country," said Mr. Parr. " Indeed, it will be to the advantage of the whole Dominion if every cultivatable acre in the North Island is settled as soon as possible. Even if the war lasts another year only, New Zealand will have an extremely heavy burden of taxation for the next 40 or 50 years. Increased production is, therefore, necessary if we are to pay our way and prosper. To the i\orth Island we must look mainly for any increase in production. It is quite clear that the Dominion's interest bill, alone, assuming the war to Inst until September next year, will be £6,500,000 per annum. New Zealand's policy should be to develop all the potentialities of the North Island with the utmost vigour." Asked as to how the division of his district would affect his future candidature, Mr. Parr said that he had practically made up his mind, if he were a candidate, which of the two districts—Roskill or Eden— would seek to represent. It remained to consult his committee and the Prime Minister, and this he proposed doing at any early date.