TO FIGHT CANCER

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8738, 21 May 1914, Page 4

TO FIGHT CANCER

A suggestion was recently made in Melbourne that the Federal Government should provide £50,000 for the purpose of special research into cancer in Australia. The scheme finds favour in many quarters, it being recognised that tho spread of cancer is a proper subject for national attention and national effort. Tho Sydney “Sun” points out that in tho Commonwealth, in common with many other parts of tho world, both the rate and proportion of mortality from cancer show a tendency to increase. “The last Official Year-book,” says our contemporary, “records that in 1911 the deaths from cancer in Australia number 3321, and of every 100 persons dying seven die oi this complaint. The disease, though so frequent, is obscure, and it is a proper subject for research in every civilised community. In Australia, its growth during the last generation has been so marked that it has counterbalanced the decrease in mortality from tuberculosis. But wo do not find any Australian Government spending money directly in tho fight against the growing power of this disease. Government 'takes it as the will of Providence that if people are to die of cancer, well, of cancer they will die; and if there is ever a loose £IOOO in tho Treasury, let it be spent on a bridge at Magpie Creek, in order to make Mr Spoopendyke, M.L.A., more solid in his' constituency . The Com monwealth has been able to spend £200,000 on now buildings in London, and £IO,OOO on a memorial in the same city to Queen Victoria; and anything which contains blatant advertisement or sycophantic sentiment can be snro of some snpnort. But the movement for the study of tropical diseases peculiar to Australia had to begin outside Aus tralia. The remarkable work done by tlie iate Mr Farrer in the scientific study of wheat-breeding earned very little recognition, and was given very little aid. There is not one big field of icicnco in which anv of the seven Governments: in the Commonwealth has shown itself in keen sympathy with the spirit of research.”