ALLEGED MEDICAL BOYCOTT

Otago Witness, Issue 2791, 2 October 1907, Page 12

ALLEGED MEDICAL BOYCOTT

DISCUSSION' IN H THE LEGISLATIVE '-* COUNCIL. " • "'• v - '

QE*BOK Ora" |jf^, CbBEJSFOOT.IJNT.),'. ; The Hon. . W. - Beehas, in > the- legislative Council moved - itha* the stfentmn" of the Govenunen* ;b»i called' to. '»^ notice in the' Bri^sh .'JttedTcat ' rjjitirxtol of - CPHJy 13 wftrninjr/ Jaedical -jrractkaoners 'not -to apply for «ppointuxenU : -in connection ;with. Ctrubfl or OOtherr r form of. contract practice in any of' certain -totted* and districts ' witihout nrst communicating with\ tiw* medical secreWry of the British 'Medic*!.' Association or the Be6retary-o'f the Auckland division.* The njovet- ' staged .tirast what' prompted him jai , moving - the> • tnotioa ' >wtuu tihe friction which haa-' -arisen^ bet*eeni'tha i Auckiand United Friendly Societiea^Tdiap^nsa/ry and" the local branoa" of the^B^itisfa-^MedioaiV Aseociaiion. The* Friendly -Societies obmbined to aeciii^' ibr^ iUme toeinbersu ptnre drugs and medical attention at a reaeoni able fee. They offered £400 per annum and tcav^lling faciliiae*. to their- m i ed.ical officers, ana the,' Aucj!sasad d^sjßipn' bjt r ,'the British Medical AssQci^noo. parsed ;^ r tespj,, lutipn pledging iSa BRembefs ri to do/ajl in their power to & prevjent, any medical practitioner being- appoiptai to.^e. position, of surgeon, to ffiie=. vTnit©id 'Fr*^dly Societies* dd^geneary, and - that would, pstrocis© &uy medical man who .accepted the position. The association, continued the Hon. W. Bee&an, -v^as accused, of- wishing to "-^feweaif" jaiedwai aneiv, by Jl requiring !*htem to attend 800 members, but he knew that r an Auckland medical man with a large private practice had also on his list at one time .600 EriencUyt. ; Society members. Aboufc^ half 'the. membership . comprised s^gle men, and '-the doctor had only- to attend tihose who were eick, so that the Friendly Societies' medical 'man, who had nothing to do but attend to his Friendly Society patients, :oould not be overworked^ The Friendly Societies' attempts to secure efficient medical men had* been seriously^ hampered, and he had brought the tnatter before Parliament in the hope that the breach between the association and the societies could beheajed. Friendly Society members were -setf-reiiaht and tbrifty as a class, and'^he claimed that they "had a' right to -cone*;dera l fcibn- from the Goya) 1^ ment. Good "inedlcal "men 4 could be secured in Auckland if the; .osfcraoiem was remoVed, and he had' been* informed by 'some young doctors that the A salary ' dffered by the', Frieivdly Societies would be a, godsend to" tnem. . ' - The Hon. ; Efr .JFindJay' . seconded the motion so that he cou]4 express an opinion upon the matter. He gave the mover credit ffor;£he feeling whioh had operated in i causing , him jto introduce the motion. It was not a new matter, , as it had come under the -.notice -of, the late Premier in IGtOS., Obv : iou«lcr . ,the Government - had no control over the medical profession, and ,it would- b». ji. diSoult taiing to go in for ,«my coercive measure fco interiere with thosei vho.oweve trying 1 ; ,to make the best bargain, they could for-, their because • the same principle animated them as the ■working men in- their efforts • to promote ' liieir mvn. interests. No doubt >the publicity which had been given to the matter would have -the desired effect, and if ho could help to" an amicable arrange1 ment between the two parties he could be relied upon to give that assistance. The motion was adopted on the voices.