LICENSING CHEMISTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22903, 10 June 1936, Page 7

LICENSING CHEMISTS

OPPOSITION CRITICISM “ANOTHER FORM OF SOCIALISM ” (From Cub Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, June 9. The recommendation by the Industries ami Commerce Committee of the House of Representatives that chemists’ shops should be licensed was contested by several opposition speakers when the committee s report was under discussion in the House to-day. The report was welcomed by air 1- IL M'Combs (Govt., Lyttelton), who said that the charges made by private chemists were altogether too high. He mentioned a prescription for a mixture containing fid worth of Aspirin and 9d worth ot hydrogen peroxide for which a chemist wanted to charge 7s fid. The average chemicals in a prescription did not cost inoro than Cd, including the bottle find label. . . , Mr S. G. Holland (Opposition, Christchurch North) paid a tribute to the manner in which Mr W. J. Jordan had conducted the committee inquiry and said that from some of the evidence offered private chemists had received a valuable lesson in bow to run pharmacy stores. As a member of tbe committee Mr Holland said be did not support the recommendation for the establishment of a national pharmacy. Mr 11. A. Wright (Ind., Wellington Suburbs) said it was only reasonable to protect local people from the operations of wealthy overseas combines, but he did not favour the proposal to license chemists. It was an ingenious suggestion to introduce another form Socialism. ’ Mr M'Combs: Hear! hear! The Prime Minister, Mr M. J. Savage, said that all Ports of businesses were licensed at present and bad been licensed for years. In the pharmacy business there was something that needed regulating. . „ . ~ • “ We have no intention of socialising the pharmacy business in New Zealand, bo added. “Wo want to protect the chemists and at the same time we want to protect the people. The business must be organised and put on a proper basis. Mj- A. S. Richards (Govt,, Roskill) said that regulation of cut-throat competition was urgently needed, especially when that competition was uneconomic. Mr H. S. S. Kyle (Opposition, Kiccnrfcon) said that private chemists were giving good service and they would be very disappointed when they read the findings of the committee. . “ The Pharmaceutical Society should be well pleased with the committee’s report,” said Mr TV. T. Anderton (Qoyt., Eden). “The recommendations will give protection to chemists.” , The recommendation of the establishment of a national pharmacy service was regarded as the most important feature of the report by Mr C. L. Hunter (Govt, Manawatu). Such a service would, he said, be a necessary part of any national health scheme. After the chairman of the committee, Mr W. J. Jordan (Govt., Manukau) had replied briefly to the debate the report was referred to the Government for consideration.