THE CONSUMPTIVE PROBLEM.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13531, 28 February 1908, Page 4

THE CONSUMPTIVE PROBLEM.

The dii-.ciisfiion. which took place at last meeting of the North Canterbury .Hospital Hoard, and which is reported ill this issue, strengthens our opinion that) it will bei necessary for the South Canterbury Board, when if holds its special meeting next Tuesday, io reconsider its whole attitude towards the consumptive problem. Until the lecenf conference we were firmly wedded to the principle of provincial action in This matter, as it appeared to us that it would lie both more effective and more, economical iio deal with tile consumptives of Canterbury in a single institution. For preference we would rather have seen the Government doing what; was ne-c.essavy by the establishment of a sanatorium for 'the. South Island, but failing thati, it. seemed that, the larger "the. scope of any r>cheme initiated by. the local bodies, the better ifc would lie in every way. But when it. was made clear ati the. late conference that the wore'- and most numerous class of patients is to be excluded from the Cashmere sanatorium, it. at mice beeame< a question whether it was worth while for .South Canterbury to throw in its lot- in sili*ii a, restricted enterprise, especially in view of the fad, that its quota of the cost of tho institution will be so rnmTi out. of proportion to the percentage of inmates it will be allowed to supply. The-ie might, have been some misgivings as to whether ifc would be quite honourable to withdraw ati this stage, but those misgivings are set at rest by the attitude of the chairman of tho North Canterbury Board, who makes no effort to conceal, his anxiety that South Canterbury should make its own arrangements for its consumptives, and leave the Cashmere sanatorium entirely to the northern district. The ground is therefore clear for local action without any suspicion of .dishonourable retreat, and we fancy that, on Tuesday the Board will have iio trouble in meeting the wishes of the North Canterbury chairman.