Lsgialative Assembly

impressed by both it’s grandeur and it’s deficiencies. The well carpeted offices are useful and particularly the Premier’s office is most impressive, but my general opin- ion is that the building is very ill-designed. As you enter the building there are large wells or whatever they may be called, but they run from the ground floor to the ceil- ing. These things take up a lot of room and I think they could be very dangerous. They certainly are not ornamental and they are not useful. But more than this, I be- lieve that this building was 'built largely upon a swamp, at any rate there are two pumps pumping at the rate of eight hundred gallons a minute, pumping water out from below the basement floor and this has taken lace since the early construction of this building. The one thing that I do not like a ut the exterior and interior ap- pearance are these enormous large holes that appear in the concrete. When I first saw those it came to my mind that perhaps some special hard termite might have drilled those holes. but I am informed that they were left there by the forms and they certainly do not add to the appearance of the building.

The Health building has proved very useful. The fourth and fifth floors are reserved for the Provincial Laboratories. This extra room is certainly needed and will add to the usefulness and the growth of the Laboratory service. and to this extent I have praise indeed for this part of the building, but as I look out my office window on the third floor of this building, each day I am reminded of this enormous piece of scrap metal which I believe was referred to as “Rossiter’s Goose” earlier in this ses- sion, but at any rate this piece of scrap iron is so ugly that even the pidgcons refuse to roost on it. (Laughter) And it cost this Government $15,000.00.

L. George Dewar: Should have put a sign on that.

Honourable Keir Clark: I am told that it is supposed to represent birds in fli ht. Now the only birds that I know that should have been in flight were the birds t t sold it and the birds that bought it, but at any rate $15,000.00 of the people’s money has gone down the drain.

Now, in reviewing the Department of Health, I would like to make reference to the committee and study of medical care. I have already referred to this committee; Dr. Curtis was named the chairman because of his long years of experience in the field of health and in the field of dealing with Federal and Provincial Legislation. I felt also that is was necessary to have the Department of the Provincial Treasurer represented, for if it turns out like the hospital insurance of a few years ago, I feel that the treasury may be vitally concerned. At the time this committee was formed, I asked for two nominations from the Medical Society of Prince Edward Island and two men, Dr. John Gillis and Dr. John Maloney, represent the Prince Edward Island Medical Society. We have three business men Mr. Holman of Summerside, Mr. Cul- len and Mr. Zakem of Charlottetown, to complete the committee. They have held several meetings and I have every confidence in these men and I hope in due time that they will come back with a report and suggested legislation which may enable this Province to co-operate with the Federal Government in a medical care program.

Henry W. Wedge: Who was the last one mentioned” Honourable Keir Clark: Mr. Zakem, he replaced Judge Trainor.

Henry W. Wedge: Has any progress been made as to the Federal Government share of the cost of administration at Riverside Hospital and T. B. Hospital; this re- quest has been made over a number of years and didn’t get anywhere. I was wonder- ing whether there was any new progress?

Honourable Keir Clark: Well, the Riverside Hospital; we were informed that if our certain group of the patients there, these are the chronic care eople that are not mentally iii, if they were segregated into certain buildings that con d be labelled Wel- fare Buildings that we could bill the federal Government under the Canada Assistance Act for half their keep. This we are now doing and we have confidence that this will work out. Also another building there, I don’t know what the name of it is, it is a low one story structure, the people that are in that will also be classed as welfare patients and I hope that about $200,000.00 may be saved on this. We are also applying at the moment to have Sherwood Hospital similarly regarded as a Welfare Institution for the purpose of claiming 50% from the Federal Government. That is as far as we have gone on that. I think in the Tuberculosis area, we can’t seem to t any farther there unless T. B. people were treated in a general Hospital, then t ey could come

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