Notes

Abstract

AMONG the several matters which the deputation from the Joint Committee of Approved Societies and the Conference of the Amalgamated Society of Indus trial Assurance brought before the Prime Minister, when he received it on October n, not the least important was that with regard to the early establishment of a Ministry of Health. Mr. Lloyd George did not fail to recognise its importance, and in the reply which he made to the deputation showed that he was alive to the necessities of the case and understood the point of view of the deputation. In effect, the demand made was that, in connection with the establishment of the Ministry, the aim should be to give satisfaction to the national insurance organisations. It was sug gested, too, that the one thing that must be done was to avoid allowing the Local Government Board to have any part in the work. The reason for asking this was mac tae Hoard dealt with pauperism, and insured persons and trade unionists were opposed to; it, would not have anything to do with it, and, in short, hated, it. As a matter of fact, this was probably all that the deputation desired to say as'to the Ministry of Health, except to assure the Prime Minister that the bodies concerned with national insurance were much more capable and deserving of the honour of being charged with the care of the nation's health. Except that he may possibly have been hinting that it was the fault of the Local Government Board that the laws as to public health were not satisfactory, and that there had been no drastic reform in connection with their ad ministration, the Prime Minister said very little in praise or dispraise of this department. If he had words of praise for the national insurance bodies as public health administrators they did not appear in the newspaper reports of the proceedings. From these it would seem that perhaps the most important state ment made by Mr. Lloyd George, so far as the Ministry of Health was concerned, was not one likely to bring much cheer to persons desirous of seeing an early settlement of the question. The Prime Minister made it clear that he regarded the matter as important, and that he saw the necessity for drastic alterations. Also he made it plain that he did not think this was the time to ask that changes should be made. It appears to be his view also that even if there is postponement and the country is asked to depend upon the existing ar rangements for even a year or two, probably nothing very serious will happen.