, 1891-04-22

= A6 - A~SS
number of poor in the country districts, a-
cording to the lists from the Police in Chris
tiansted but beyond the numbers, His Ex-
cellency knew nothing; but His Excellency
had all chance to investigate the other points
too, and in doing this he would find it so, that
there are not only Doctors employed for al
most all estates, but that all who are on the
estates as able to work in any way, get free
medical attendance. It would then also be
found to be so as asserted that it is not in con-
s~istence with the public interest to pay Doc
tors from the public Treasury for attending
some of those very people, for whom the estates
employ and pay them TIL general opinion
is that we need no doctors for that purpose,
but it Is the general view, that the money ex-
pended from the public funds could be distri-
buted more equally and that we could for
that money have more physicians in the island,
and this is particularly the case to q certain
extent in West End, where already now q
more equal division of the money for the ply
sicians could be made, and the one of the two
public physicians there should not be higher
salaried than the other; this would be the
way of encouraging more physicians. 1t is
not necessary at all to give all to the one.
Even with the large numbers presented by His
Excellency, it is superfuous to have physicians
to attend the poor in the country at an ex.
pense of 5000; and as far as he knew in the
country districts of Frederiksted, the Kings
physician never comes on estates to look after
poor the privately engaged doctor attends all.
And as regards travelling expenses for doctors
when sent out by the police to poor people,
not pensioners in the country, this occurs but
seldom, and on the whole the travelling ex-
penses are much too high, particularly when
the doctor has to be there on the spot or the
neighbourhood, on other duties. But how can
we continue to grant money In this way, with
out knowing where it is to come from? This
is the chief point after all, and it becomes the
more glaringly oppressive when we look at the
crop now and the prospects for the future.
Moreover. the doctors are almost all already
very highly paid.-Turning now to another
side of this matter, he would say, if the Gov
eminent wishes the Colonial Council to adopt
their views, then the Council should at least
have the matters brought in in proper time
however we'll informed the Government may
be on the matters they submit for the consent
Of the Council, still the Members too ought
certainly to have time to make themselves ac-
quainted with the matters, before they are call
ed on to vote the Government should not wait
until after they have made a contract about
public affairs, and then come forward asking
the Council's consent to it. Members have
something more to say than just to vote what
the Government presents; and it really does
seem to be going a little too far, when the Co.
vernment regardless of the deplorable state of
the Island and its finances, proposes to bind
the public to a pretty heavy expense for 4
years, when this is not necessary.
The Vice-Gorernor: The reason why he
had not furnished the numbers also for Frede-
riksted is because there had been no time
honorable Members are aware that he arriv-
ed here from St. Thomas only Saturday morn
ing last, and time did not admit of his getting
the information ready also from Frederiksted,
but only from the Police in Christiansted for
the estates in this district. When he had
observed, that he knew of those people living
on the Estates but he could not know or tell
if they were employed to work there, it could
not be expected that he should have such in
formation. AS regards the reality Of the ques-
ton, the proposal for adoption by the Council
is the renewal Of the previously existing con.
tracts with physicians for a term of 4 years on
the usual rates of pay. 1t is unavoidably neces-
sary to have the doctors here, and as already
stated, the whole amount Of $500 for the two
last named purposes is not expended, only
$400 thereof being applied for permanent
salaries and the balance set aside for travelling
expenses, of which only a small sum has been
used Of late. The doctors for 4 years are to
attend the poor in the Towns, the sick at the
Hospitals, say Richmond and Frederiksted,
besides the Leper-Asylum at Richmond.
These contracts have always previously been