, 1894-03-14

GuiAOO IN
in the intervals between the visits; it might
not he possible for the doctor tn come the
folio wing day to see tbs labOuIsr; this shows
that there is not a sufficient lumber of
medical men, and that the want seems to be
more directly felt in the country, for that
class of people for whom the Government
has been anxious to provide this defect
exists whether the estate pays or the Govern
ment pays for the poor attendance Ii a
doctor we're in the centre of the Islam I. he
no I'D be near to the estates, and the other
doctors would have far less districts TO travel
in. The question of payment from Estates to
medical men is now regulated so that the
Estates employ and pay, and the lahourers
voluntarily pay 3 cents per week to repay the
Estate; it will surely not do for any estate
beforehand to give up the doctor without
knowing for certain that a new one is to
be had but if Government use some OF the
amounts at it's disposal TO secure a man, he
Ould find remuneratlve occupation; 1t has
been so before, and it will be 80 again, just IN
the case Of q physician in the country. 1t
might be said, that Frederiksted too has the
same right as Christlansted to have another
doctor, and the one of the two that
have been there has been in receipt
of a good income for a long time from the
Colonial treasury, while the other doctor has
no puDllC InCOIu0 WudC@F~I AHO ILL
doctor GOULD afford to dispense with
some part at least and open up
the way for another man. Here again we
might ha, had another man already, in the
person of the late substitute for q doctor on
leave of absence; possibly a similar agree
ment bound him TO leave and not remain.
Anyhow the matter is one which seems to
merit consideration and action. 1t might be
that the stipulation Of such a forfeit and
obligation to remove is the very thing that
has prevented physicians from coming.
Srd Crown Member (Lemming) would beg
to say that the reason why the committee
rendered no report, was because one Member
wanted the new physician located at Kings
Hill. another at Frederiks:ed-and so on,
it was not possible to come to an agreement
and the deliberations fell always to the
ground without result.
The Governor, in reference to The remarks
from the honorable End Member for Frederik-
sted's Country District (Hewitt) would beg to
say that he did not know anything at all
about the matters mentioned by the honorable
Member himself, as we'll as End Member for
Christiansted (Stakemann) had said that the
physician who lastly acted during the absence
Of the permanent physicians was IA very
good man and a clever physician, who filled
his place well; this does not go to prove what
the honorable Member (Hewltt) had sad that
no first class medical man would be willing
20 come out here on the terms fixed when
private physicians are on leave of absence
and get out a mau in their place; moreover,
it must not be forgotten that those terms are
by private arrangements; the resident doctor
pays the voyage baokw ards and forwards for
his temporary substitute. What terms are
made between the two parties is unknown to
the Government. As regards the contracts
between Estates and Doctors, that is also a
private matter, and the Government has ne
right to meddle with that. He would further
add that he knew that the Vice Governor
had waited for the Report from the Commit
tee but had not received it, and therefore
had been unable to take any steps in the
matter.
LIST Member for Christiansted (CreGg6)
said, 1t is much to be regretted that the Com
mittec did not render its report at the same
time the matter is now the same as it was
then, when the Committee was appointed,
This question of another physician is one of
very great interest and occupies the minds of
people very much indeed; go where you will,
y, u will hear the question of getting another
physician here in Christiansted uppermost
and discussed warmly. He could remember
the time when We had s physicians here all
of them were we'll to do men; none of them
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