VISIT OF HON, C W. RUSSELL.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14869, 18 September 1918, Page 4 (Supplement)

VISIT OF HON, C W. RUSSELL.

CIVIC RECEPTION

(From "The Colonist," Sept. 17th.) The Hon. G. W. Russell, Minister of nternnl Affairs, arrived overland from lie Wesl Coast, yesterday afternoon, nd in the evening ho* was tendered a ivic reception at the Council Chambers, ■here he was met by a large* gathering f representative citizens, including lessrs T. A. H. Field. M.P. for Nelon, and R. P. " Hudson, M.P. for lotueka, and members of various local odies and the Returned Soldiers' Asoeiation: The Mayor (Mr. W. W. Snodgrass) aid they had met to welcome the Hon. i. W. Russell on the occasion of his econd visit to Nelson as- Minister of *üblic Health and Internal Affairs. He aid the work of the Minister of Public iealth was much more important now •ban before the war, and the Minister lad very_ grave responsibilities in the •are of sick soldiers, anfl he eulogised lis work in connection with the- estabishmon'j of hospitals for their welfare, t was common knowledge to members >f patriotic committees "that anything affesting.the sick poldior had Mr Russell's very wrmnest interest. In rprard to iho -administration of patriotic un,ds, mistakes had been made, but quite a number had been Testified by ;ho cnrofnl supervision of the Minister, .n Nelson they did not cavil at tho restrictions placed upon them by the Minster, and any rebukes they received ihey took in the best spirit. They yore pleased to see Mr "R.ussotl, and ilod to know that he could not get iway til! Wednesday morning. He volcorned him very heartily to" Nelson. Applause.) Or. 'W. g. Hampson Raid they were ilways slnrl to welcome Ministers' of the Drown to No!son. Considering tho tremendous cliffir-nltips the hoads of the GrOverniT)(.'3it had been confronted with ihmiHt tl'" 'nnst four years he was sure they could all join in heartily consratulating'Ministers or» what they Had -lone-. Mr.1 T A. y. Field, M.P.. said tho Bon. O. W. T^sscli deserved the warmest welcome from the-people- in Nelson. He had been exceeding! v good about the- new hospital—(applause)'—and' tlwy !iad th.v utmost confidence in him as a Minister of Me Crown. At. all time* when'ha and Mr. Hudson. M.P.. waited upon the Minister they had found mm rourteous and helpful, and it w.is no farlt 'of his "that the building of the new hospit-il was hu,ng up. Mr. R. P. Hudson. M.P., joined Tn the welcome to the. Minister. It had given him very greaF pleasure to clo what he could to further the interests of the district, including Motueka, which was directly interested in the new hospital. Mr. Russell had always given thorn-a sympathetic hearing, and it Was always a pleasure to, wait upon him. He was jjlad to know thot tho | Minister intended visiting Motueka on his ne>:t visit to the district Mr. T. Nenle. chairman of tho Nelson Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, said it gave )vm very groat rtleasure t-o join in £ho welcome to Mr. Russell, especially as it was the first opportunity j he had had of publicly conv^yirxj .toj him the very great gratitude the Nelson people felt towafds him for the manner1 in whic'l) he had treated t^o "business brought before him by tho Nelson Hospital and Charitable Aicl Board. Flo recognised thnt the Mini«f-o'r liad brought a vast amount of ability nurt driving force Into £ho manacement of his office. Mr. took a- pa-ter-' nal interest in the "ffnTrs of Melsor, "Deople, atirl he was nl^asM £o know thnt he woulrl have m or>pr>"funitv of visiting the hospital during, his present visit. (Applause.) The Hon. Mr Russell, who was received with loud applause,^ said lie was deeply touched by the kincl expressions made in regard to nis work as one of the Ministers of the .Crown. He congratulated the Mayer on his election to office, and. said the people of Nelson were fortunate in having, a man with such energy^1 and";patriotism 'at the head of their civic affairs. It was, vsaid Mr. Russell, no light task being a Minister of the Crown in svich times as they Were living in. The National Government'was formed in order that' party feeling might bo suppressed, and the real sentiment of the people be given adequate expression to. As thoy settled down to work' the responsibilities of the departments controlled by him nwmfested themssives. Internal affairs not only entirely controlled, local government of the cotmtry rind tho whole of the acclimatisation societies, but nearly everything that did not belong to other Ministers. (T.p.uchter.) The legal control of patriotic fuivla was also no light ..-responsibility, but ho wa=; pleased to say that the funds were now so thoroughly under control that in only two cases had it been neeresnrv to threaten to bring the penal clauses of the Act into operation. Th>rf> wre neorlv c?ip thousand soc'i.Hipi colleo+-ii'«r ar.d ndrni'-'isterjnc ftin^s. Ov.-«r £7.000.000 had boon raised m tT»is li++lcountrv For patriotic purposes yjner tho "war str:;;'-l. A^ th^ r>rosont■'" tim« there ir^s : "i tH"-lif<Tid«! of pf>+rip*V c-v----'cietirs ir: Xov.- Zf-fjln.nd for the bereftf of polil'^rs ■n-r'< ihr-^i' .r;en"nr]pnts: ovor one fvi n.- 1: r'(f .'million in. .sblfd^c^^V. and i 1 ■-. th"<r h"ns"": fio"<= -t-» spp ths?-t ;+Vo monp'* a"pp.. inrnstor' ~■; to; hrinc: \r> ti1!"----highest, ivtntns.consistent'Avith'the-lojrai "ppsitioti. . A s"<Ttr<if!<-;on I'l.i-^-hepn■ roftf'o that he v apte<l to col^r A] %ho patriotic funds, Imt he assurM thoni thnt thorn •was nnv^ '•- tho r-t ilno '■'Govp-rr.^ Tnent +o ;- i.-;■* ■■•-■■ v-U 1 ' >'":*""^if>-7iiorit of na-trjot?''- *--v- T- f *—~i~,-~-r> \ s chxiiipnu of the W"i%-.7'""•'■••vis rW'"l^!1 tx* tvas nlr-Eis«d to h»r- i^nv- had ovor £30,000 -vz a w+, o^ t-> assist tho **',- ■diers' (loi^^nri^Tits in ''is+n'r-ts ■vrhic.': "were t^oovo" t''^t> othr'- r^'<:!,'• l^ts. <so •■'■ii^ they v/onld all rpfpivo tho samo t"r-nl' Biei't. Tn purcurmc^ of. t.hat the Cf".!"cil hr>d t^ken over "West!"ivl n.nd iVnl-ler.'-Tn.l l'.e thonrth't. woulrl take r,yw Infinn^h'ia. T lv° Go^ornTa^t ifullv recofrnir.ed that' therp was nothinp~ ton good -far' the bravo mon who had wen xcturnofl Ono c;f 'the greatest pro-■blc.ns-..they were fn^'l with'was the ro-patr.iatum-.of tho solrliors who had «nffered lv «-ir r.p—-:iro. and it-would bo the duty of th'» G-or^vment to sco tKv. they wore put in a better position so fnj :is money than they.'were ever heforo. (Appl;H^:o.) For t-vo and a- Tialf year? he had been irv.chargp. of the treatment of sick nnd . "wounded soldiers. l>v.t tc prevent dual 'control ?t wns in Mor^T: last i'handed over to his colleague, tin

Miriis+<M of Doronco Tloferersct nu "boon rnifl" Its tl e}l o. to iht/ v< i 1 ho liar! '■Vn» iii ltiMT)£, tTio foupdain i< f'' their tiPThncnt, sinrl nn\fme taV> 7i •( visiLorl l?o'«JUfi IfanmPi, pni r^oi pianos TJ»u«.t iPib*-° tint tliost' *' i")i tions 'in'i Wei h-<r\ ot^i <ran« Thp inon in t\ p«e hc°DJ Lrls hin <j to ho lic,i'i mie Hi 1) dcL% Lnrl lieu t<

maLe Hi" men as fU jf po- ' 1 "■> the^ \\c\c br>fi)io Lho "•] .nul I.r m> lie\oil i.ho ppoiilo noull 'iippct ii, t policj Ir is !ln doiuo ,mc! v 1 tion of ilio Gni to li^p th tuo ro ouipcs of I 1 o —m 'o' and lini^ino, —n~ t'po of tu<- ir» tuinod^ipu A^i Tllls^U pi^co^H 1 lo sptft < f tho aw! lies oonnnr (pi it! tin

7<:<mo cf p r! cR >0l D->, PS»( (> i'lt, in lPf'aid co -Rome ■!• fuelling in tic dan_ot ?c"\o and <;-i I thi wliile in 'otvic case in^o 1"^ 1-"i!f 1slr" I<> ''it 1 to c >i t (ii fttlictl' tltf 1) <-t'U'"t'> " Ci tllP TPI » i I'l GfnoT'i«iil tliO* mi v"i n -Vuld h~ fllloWf'fl t'* tJJ\oI V./iVri- 01 P\fc'eiYlo 'Jlif] mcjent I'ocp'-'xtl TJv AlirustiM then jeferrcrl to the ouo= 'on of i SI ttu radical soukc, uid laid the- f{.c u t*.«-fc 'ix

2v cent, of men conscripted should we been turned down as medically iynb was enough to make ono wonder how, 1 such a young country as New Zeauid, where living conditions and clilato were ideal, such a. thing had been roxight about. In his opinion enough ire' was not taken of the health of the abies, so he desired to see a sytem esxblishod wheroßy a person who could ot- afford to pay could obtain medical nd dental service for his children, 'hey might attach one or two assistant louse surgeons' at hospitals, who would ot only bo boarll officers, hut also offiprs of the State, who would attend atients, making the hospital the centre f operations. T5Hr. Raisscll detailed .he system of. medical bureaux which .ad been ostpblTi'lied, and «md if the vst°m v, as extended to dertiats much f the dental troubles in children would ie overcome. He raid he need not muhnsise the importance of health to he children of the rising generation. Is to the Nelson Hospital, the Minister egrctted the erection of the new 'buildng had been delayed, but there were •remendous difficulties in thewwa r, and -he Board had acted with great judgneht and patriotism in deferring the erection of the hospital. He had done lis best, and had committed the Go--ernment, whethei ho was a member or lot, that the postponement 'of the erecaon of the building would not in any va-v prejudice the finances of tlie Board. Applai.se.) When the war clouds ifted iie hoped the new building would )o erected without delay, but he also loped the Board would not put the hospital on a palpably unsuitable site. If .he Nelson Board could obtain for £5000 i suitable- site, the Government would ie prepared to pay a subsidy of £ for £ m whatever responsibility 'the Board iccepted up to its full share- of £5000. 'Applaiise.) As to the future of the Dominion after the war, the Minister said New Zealand; had already spent over £50,000,000 on the war, and the war ?xpenditnre was nefw over two and a half millions per month. The money required was being raised in £lie Dominion, and although some people had the impression that they were piling np a huge bill with the" Mother Country that was not the .case. - New Zealand ivas paying its way, and it was only the Daymen ts in connection with the first Few months of the war that required adjustment. Their interest and sinking funds were going tl p by leaps and bounds, and their loans, including war loans, wculd be wiped out in 63 years, lhe charge for pensions was also inRreosins rapidly, and including widows' ami old-age pensions amounted to two millions annually; but the people of New Zealand had responded • •magaincon% to the burden placed upon them. Although their rresponsibilties mi"ht make thc-m : shudder, :he desired to preach the gospel rif.optimism, for whatever their responsibilities,were the country could st»uid. them Now Zealand had the greatest foreign trade per head of {.ny country in the world. Ne"w Zealand's exports of domestic produce were the greatest per head in the world and New Zealand was the tenth country in the vvorid" for the magnitude of its sheep flocks. At present"New Zea"and was sending from one-third to half the whole cheese imported Into- Great Britain. The trade was growing by leaps and bounds. Ninet3'-three* per cent, of the exports came from agri cultural and pastoral products, but lie believed that New Zealand was also a mineral country, and that its mineral resources had only been "tickled." He ventured the opinion that in tlu next seven years the Government would take over and develop the Parapara 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 (if Orepuki were 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. Russell said he hoped his visit would be useful, and he assured tf;em that the kindness extended to him would bo an inducement for him to come back as soon as possible. He returned hh seat amidst applause. On the call of the Mayor cheers were given for. the Minister, who in turn called for cheers for the boys at the front and the girls they had lerc behind them, an 3 fiie proceedings closed with the singing of the National Anthem.