HELP THE CHILDREN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16751, 5 June 1922, Page 7

HELP THE CHILDREN.

FICHTINC CONSUMPTION.

GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY THIS YEAR.

One of the requests ina.de to the Prime Minister to-day by the North Canterbury Hospital Board was that the Government should give a subsidy promised on a. sum of about £3OOO collected in Canterbury for a Children’s Consumptive Sanatorium at Cashmere.

Dr G. .1 • Blackmore, who spoke to the board, made a powerful appeal to the Prime Minister. He went into the whole position of tuberculosis in' Now Zealand, nnr.l referred particularly to what lias been done in (Canterbury. Tho North Onutorburv Board, in making th > request on behalf of the children, he said, asked t hat the Government should give the matter the consideration it. deserved. The brunt, of the disease fell on the children. He urged, in their interests, that the Government should not relax the tuberculin test of milk.

Mr Massey asked if the disease Trtra not hereditary.

Dr Blackmon* replied that it was not. It wa« readily contracted by children, ho said, but not until after they wore born. He continued that the sanatorium, when opened fifteen years ago, bad 111. l-ods. Now there were 103 beds. A hospital for the more advanced oases. It had been increased until there were 68 beds in it. Canterbury bad more beds for consumptives in proportion to its si»c than any other place in the world. The board was waiting for the Government subsidy to help the children who could not help themselves- The subsidy promised was 24s in the £ on about £3OOO. Mr W. E. L/e ad lev said that the claims of children of returned soldiers shpuld be considered. Fiftv soldiers

in_ tho military sanatorium had .some fifty-three children. Mr Massey : Is there anything to prevent you going on with tlie erection of the building at once? Mr said thate the sum of £6OOO or £7OOO must be in hand before the start was made. “ It's not necessary to deal with the general question now,” Mr Massey replied. You want a subsidy of some £3OOO. That’s the point. Kvorvbody knows that we’re, having the greatest difficulty on one side of the Treasury. On the other side of the Treasury it’s not so bad. It’s possible to borrow money for public works, while other moneys come out of the Consolidated Fund. I can onlv say that if We are able at the eml of this year- -it is quite probable we will -to find the £3OOO, I shall bo glad to give it. It’s a very small sum as far as the Treasury is concerned, but as you know, there are many other expenses. Education alone, for instance. costs £3,500,000 at nresent. although all of it does not come out of the Consolidated Fund. Some of it comes from the Public Works Fund. I think it’s quite likely that you will get. your £3OOO odd at the end of the year.”