VISIT OF HON, G, W. RUSSELL.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14868, 17 September 1918, Page 2

VISIT OF HON, G, W. RUSSELL.

CIVIC RECEPTION

I The Hon.^G. W. Kussell, Minister of Internal Affairs, arrived overland from the West Coa.-t yesterdaj ' afternoon,' land in the evening he/was tendered &• , civic reception at bho Council Chambers i where he was met by a large gathering of representative/ citizens, including ! Messrs T. A. H. Field. M.P. for Nelson, and R. P. Hudson, M.P. for Motueka 3 and members of various local bodies and the Returned Soldiers' Association. 1 The Mayor (Mr. TV. W. Snodgrass) said they had met to welcome the Hon. G. TV. Russell on the occasion of his, second visit to Nelson a« Minister of Public Health and Internal' Affairs. He pai;l the work of the Minister of Public Health "«as much more' important now than before the war, and the Minister had vory_ grave responsibilities in Hie care of sick soldiers, and he eulogised iiif- work in connection with the establishment of hospitals for their'welfare. Jt was common knowledge? to members of patriotic committees "that anything affesting the. sick soldier had Mr Russell's very warmest interest. In regard to the administration of patriotic funds, mistakes had been made, but ouite a number had been Testified by j.i. _ j?.-i • • _" j.i._ •»/ri_;_"x_.V

MIC" D'lciui rsilj^cl VIKIUII <J± lillU'.iUllU&USl, ■ In Nflsmi they did not cavil at the restriction? placed upon them by the Minister, .■■nrl imv rebukes they received thev'tonk in the best spirit. They •voi'f> p'PHP^d tc« «cc Mr "Russell, < and elr-d to know that he could not gel; away till "VVodnosday morning. He. wpilv-f^nM'him very heartily to Nelson, j ('Ar.plnnMO j fir. TV, ft. Hnmpson paid they were1 n.lwavs <i lad tn welcome Ministers of the Oroyn to N^l^n. Considering th's tro-j moudon- cliffr-nl+.ips the. hoods of the; ( rov^m-pient K-irl heen confronted with i dnrin-r tho post four years he was sure thf>v o^'i'ld all ioir>. in hp.irl.ily con^ratu-, ln+.i'iiof MJn'^fero on what thftv had done.' Mr. T \. H. Field, M.P., said the tton (^ W. "Rnssell d^spi'vpd the warm-; nst wf-'lf-onio from the perpio in Nelson.1 Ho hnd boon exceeding!v pood about fl-iev ?ip'.v hosnHal—(annlause) —and they: F»nd tlv-> r>f--Tv>ost confidence in him. as a; Mii-ii«<-ov of tVio' Orm'-ii. At nil tinier' v hen I'.^. mir] Mr. Hudson. M.P., waited unrm the* "M"ini<;ter,thfiv had found "Tim wirtrmw oik] Jielpful, and it was no fanlt of V.is that the building of the nov linp.nH;.fil *-ns ln:,ug ui>. Mr. "R. "P. Hudson. M.P., joined in the wplcome to the Minister. It had given Mm very greaT pleasure to do what lip .cnu'd to furMier the interests of the district, inclutling Motueka, which was directly interested in the nev hospital. Mr. Russell had always given t^m '.'I. symmthetic hearing, and it was always a pleasure to waif upoa him. F<* v'-is o;lad to kiTvw that the Ministrr lntfTided visiting Motueka on hi---;. npy.t-, vs«(it to the district Mr. T ."NTp.ale, chairman of, the Nelson Hr.s-nitnT nr»d Charitable Aid Board, said it r>;nve h>in very great pleasure to ioin in tW welcome to Mr. Russell, especially as it was the- first opportunity hn had h«d, of publicly conveying to him th«Vyery- great gratitude the Nelson •oeoplo felt towards him for the manner in ,-.wMr:l} he hod treated the business bronghi before him by the Nelson T3ospital «nrV Charitable Aid Hoard. Ho recognised that the Minister had brought a vast amount of ability and

driving force into the management of, his office-*,, ■ Mr. Russell took a paternal interest in the affairs of Nelson people, and he was pleased to know that he would have an opportunity of visiting the hospital during his present visit. (Applause.) The Hon. Mr Russell, who was received with loud 'applause v said he was deeply touched by the kind expressions made in regard to His Avork as one of the Ministers of the Crown. He congratulated the Mayor on His election to office, and said the people of • Nelson were fortunate in having a man with such energy and patriotism at the head of their civic affairs. It was, said Mr. Russell, no light task being a. Minister of iho Crown in such times as they Were living in. The National Government was formed m order that party feeling might be suppressed, and the real sentiment of the people 'bo given adequate expression to. As they settled down to work the responsibilities of the departments controlled by him manifested themselves. Internal affairs not only entirely controlled local government of the country and the; whole of the acclimatisation societies,; but nearly everything that did not be-' long to other Ministers. (Laughter.) The legal control of patriotic funds was; also no light responsibility, but he was : pleased to say that the funds were'now so thoroughly tinder control that in only two cases had it Been necessary to threaten to bring the penal clauses of the Act into operation. There were nearly one thousand societies collecting and administering patriotic funds. Over £7.000.000 had been raised m ffiis little ; cpuntrv for patriotic, purposes nnce the h var started. At the present time ! there, was in the hands of patriotic societies in New Zealand-for the benefit .of isnldiprs and their dependents over jono nnd a halt million in solid cash. ■ :>nrl it was their business to see thai flip nionAv was invested to brine In the highest returns consistent with the legal ! -position. A pno-0-ofdv'o7i ]'«ul been p-'ac'p that he wanted to collar nil 'the patriotic funds, but'he assured them that there I was no wish on the. part of the Government +n .interfere with the- management of patriotic funds. As ■ chairman of tire War Funds Council lie iwns phased to say they bad over £30.000 ,'>s a. np<4 oee; t'> assist the soldiers 5 r.lfhpprlaTits" in Histnets whioJ; were poorer tban other districts, so that the.v "would nil receive the some treatI Tiiont. T\*< piiv^nanrl"l of. tTui+.-thp CVnT*Hl Pfwi' +.nVf»Ti nvpv "\Vppt,loi-!(l nut! Btl]W. fin.l lie th^ncht would take • nvor : Tpfi'-irroiliMi. T)>o GnvAvninpi->t ifnllv recognised that there was nothing^ too good for the brave men who had "jeen returned One of - the greatest problems they were faced with was the repatriation of the soldiers who had suffered by war service, and it would be 'the duty of -tb> Government to see'thai they wore put iv a. better position so far jns money than they were ever before. fAppl;wse.) For two and a Tialf years .he bad been in charge of the treatment of sick and -wounded soldiers, but tn ! prevent dual control it was in March lost banded over to his colleague, iho Minister of Defence. Reference bad been madelby the Mayor to the Avork lie bad clqirTO in laying tlie foundation fov their treatment, and anyone who bad | visited Rotorua.. Hanmer, and ■ other ■places must realise that' those foundsiitioTis had been laid strong and sure, i TW. men in these ho^+^ls \veli. and the rppporssihfiiHty hnd *>een no lieb: one. His policy had been'to make tb<v npn as fit, if po^i'Me. -is ! tliey Avore. before the war, lie be-lieA-ed the .people would support that ; policy. It was the desire and inten- ! tion of the Government to have the enitire resources of the -country—-medical i and, riiirsing—at the disposal of the rej turned men. Mr. Russell proceeded to ! speak of the worries connected with the' ! issue of passports;1 especially in regard ;to women travelling in the danger y,oue, otid said that' while in some cases it I i'ivr>l'-ofl harrlshiv) be bad to cn^ry mit ;«trict\v the instructions of the Imperial i Government that no V/omen should be j allowed to travel unless of extreme and i ip-cifnt noceositv. . Tho Minister then ■j referred "to the ouestion of a State medij.cal service, and said the fact that;6o I per cent, of men conscripted should ■-have been turned doAvii as medically unjfit was enough to make one wonder hoAv. in such a young country as New Zea.•land, where living conditions and cli- | mate were ideal, such a thing had been brought-about. In his opinion enough care was not taken df the health of the babies, so he desired to see a sytem establishocl whereby a person who fonld not afford to pay could obtain medical and dental service for bis children. They might attach one or tAvo assistant house surgeons of hospitals, Avho avouM not only be boaf3 officers, but also officers of the State, avlio avoulc! attend patients, making the hospital the centre of operations. Mr. Russell detailed the system of ■nicdir'al bureaux Avhioh had been established, . and said if the system v. as extended to dentists much of the dental troubles in children Avouki be overcome. He said lie need not emphasise the importance of health to the children of the rising generation. As to the Nelson Hospital, the Minister regretted the erection of the new 'building had been delayed, but there Avere tremendous difficulties in the Avay, and the Board had acted Avltli great judgment and. patriotism in deferring the erection of tho hospital. He had done Ill's best, rind had committed' the"" Government, Avhether he- was. a member or uot, that the postponement of the erection of the building would not in any way preindice the finances of the Board. 'Applause.) When ■ the war clouds | lifted he hoped the new building Avouki be erected without {lolay, but he also hoped the Board Svould not put the hospital on a palniibly unsuitable site. if the Nelson Board could obtain for £5000 a ."uit.-ibta site, tbe Government -would .be prepared to pay a subsidy of £ for £ on whatever, responsibility "the Board aceoptw! up to its full share of £5000 (Apphu.se.) -4s the future of the' Dominion after the war, the Minister said New |Zealiin-I bud already spent, over £00,000,000 on the Avar, and the war exnondii-.uro -was mivr over two and a ha if millions per month. The money require-.! was being raised in tLe Dominion, and although, some people had the jmpression that "they were- piling up a huge bill with the' Mother Country t.iat was not the case. New Zealand was paying its way, and it was only the iviyments .in connection with the" first l-e\y .month* of the war that required ndjusoment. xiseir interest and sinkjno- in-ifls T.ere going" up b"y leaps and htmnds. an! tnei- loans" 'innlu^in'r v . or loans, he wiped oiit in G3 years, -i.'p pharjre ■•V.j- pensions was alsn in-ci-ensuiff rapidly, "and including widows' nivi -oid-ao-o PPI-.SJO3IC! .-imounted to twr* Millions annually: but the people of, •i On-;"( J h*rl re-sponrlpd ma^njficoiiriy to the t>urclcn placed upon^thiMii ; AWioufr,i tboip refi'jorsibilt'os P-i-o-bt jrwico tlfcin slinrklor. ho. desired 'to j lirp«'; i l trif nrosppl of r-ntmiism, for wlfatevor cup:.- rosponsibijibins worn t,}"> coun|vy r- : .] ( ; stj.iul.ih.eTn No W if>r\awj' ; li-td the Kifkatpst foreign truth nnr head i '!*>£v c-cimtrv in the Kr-Vv 5!0.i----j land s exports of domestic produce wpvp f.no {rvp-ntost per hesnl in the world" and >ow ZealniKl/was the tenth counj^'y.tu the worid -for :the magnitude of us sheep- flocks. At- present NeAv Zen-' "IHl"'V:i«..-se.prl-,jo. fvo7n,-mie-third to half the vvhole cheeso imported Into Great Britain. The £rade was growing by leaps and bounds. Ninety-three per cent, of the exports, came from airncultural and pastoral products,"but" he believed that New Zealand also a '.

mineral country, and that its mineral resources had only been "tickled." Ho venvured the opinion that in th-3 next seven years the Government would take over and develop the Para'para iron fields in order to retain the population and find employment for- the people who had come to the Dominion after the war. The vast oil shale fields of- Orepnki wore also awaiting development. New Zealand required population, and the children they grew themselves would be the best," therefore it was their duty to try and keep the cradles full. In conclusion, Mr. Tlusscll said ho hfiped hi* visit would ba useful, and. he assured them .that the kindness extended to him would be n n inducement for him to come back as soon as possible. He resumed his sea t am.dst applause. On the call of the Mayor choers were given for the Minister, who in turn called for cheers for the hoys at the front and the girls they! had left behind them, and tne proceed-1 mffs closocl with the singing of the1 National Anthem. :