SPAS FOR THE POOR.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2490, 1 May 1909, Page 7

SPAS FOR THE POOR.

Stimulated bv the success of the Cold 'Cakes excursion for workers (with £5 -'-or £6 to spare) the Hon. T. Mackenzie has another ideal for the comforting of the folk of small’means. He is advocating the. acceptable doctrine of .making the health resorts accessible to the poor, whose health lias failed them. The announcement of the .. scheme comes at an odd time, when the is very busy trying to work out details for the retrenchment proposals, but the proposition is lione the less praiseworthy. The Minister hopes to benefit the sick without appreciably increasing the general taxpayer’s burdens. He expects to succeed by re- ■ ducing the present charges for treatment and placing a fair share of the ■ expenditure on hospital and charitable aid boards. It is practically a policy •of “prevention is better than cure.” He anticipates tliati it will be much cheaper, in the long run, to give the -people a chance to recover their health than to allow them to drift on to a state of chronic helplessness, and so be- . come a perennial charge on the taxpayers and ratepayers. Hence from the purely material point of view the scheme may ultimately lighten the .Jfiirden on the great army of payers, •in addition to bringing such good cheer •to the patients. The motion is freshing departure from the traditions that a poor human mechanism must be severely broken before it is deemed .worth while to seriously attend to the mending. It.is an excellent manifestation of common sense, and if the details ai - o in keeping with the merit of the general idea Mr. Mackenzie will be ..gratefully , remembered.—“ Evening .Post.”