SOCIAL SERVICES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22295, 22 June 1934, Page 9

SOCIAL SERVICES

HUGE COST IN BRITAIN REVIEW BY THE MINISTER (British Official Wireless.) (baited Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) RUGBY, June 20. (Received June 21, at 5.5 p.m.) Reviewing the services of the Ministry of Health in the House of Commons, Sir Hilton Young said that between 1919 and 1934 the vote for the Ministry had increased by the enormous figure of £58,000,000 to £71,000,000,,.but half of that increase was in respect to derating grants in accordance -with the Act of 1929 and had nothing to do with social services. Referring to health matters, he said that the general death rate of the nation showed an encouraging downward tendency and was 10 per cent, lower than five years ago. Another encouraging proof of the value of the health services was found in the redaction of .the infant death rate, wjiich during the last decade represented an annual saving of 40,000 more infants under a year old than at the beginning of the century. The improvement in the health of adults continued-and was most remarkable in the ease of typhoid fever, of which in 1932 there was only one case for every 28 at the beginning of the century. In the last decade the death rate from tuberculosis had decreased by 22 per cent. Referring to the recent unanimous recommendation of the committee in favour of sterilisation of the unfit, Sir Hilton said the report was at present being considered by national churches and other organisations, for the Government must be quite sure it made no proposal which offended the national conscience.

Turning to the question of water supplies, he said the difficulties were uot due to the present dry summer, but a lack of water in winter and spring. Urban supplies were fairly good. Emergency measures had been in active progress wherever needed, but: voluntary cooperation by ■ the public in economising water was largely responsible for the satisfactory position regarding urban supplies. There were great difficulties in specified rural areas and unless there was a quite unforeseeable rainfall within a few weeks those difficulties would increase in August and September. There was no general remedy, but county councils were being stimulated where necessary to help rural, areas, and assistance from special officers of the Ministry would be forthcoming in areas where the situation required it. On the subject of housing he said that a remarkable rate of progress in slum clearance had been achieved and he believed that they would achieve the programme laid out iu the recent White Paper in . the course of the next live years. Referring to the great building boom he said that houses, were being built at the rate of 300,000 annually, and small houses for lower-paid earners at the rate of 155,000 annually.