164 
MAJORITY REPORT. 
of local funds.” (Q. 23,992.) We also note that Mr. Alban 
Gordon, who is, at any rate, no reactionary in these matters, 
has very definitely recommended to us this point of view. He 
says (App. XIII, 56) : 
““ 1 should, indeed, consider the mere extension of medical 
benefit to dependants of insured persons as a retrograde 
step, since it would stereotype the present system so deeply 
as to render it far more difficult to bring into existence at 
any future date the co-ordinated medical service which the 
health of the country so urgently needs.” 
And the National Conference of Friendly Societies, representing 
those who have for generations carried on the movement for 
help through insurance, are equally definite. They say 
(App. XXVI, 35-37) : 
““ Owing to lack of means, it is impossible for the poorer 
classes to obtain the services of doctors on fee-paying terms, 
and for this reason it was deemed necessary to introduce a 
system of compulsory insurance to include free doctoring. 
Tt is submitted that the need is equally great to-day for 
similar provision for the remainder of the population below 
an income limit of, say, £250 a year, including the 
dependants of such persons, as well as those of insured 
persons. 
““ If this were done by merely extending medical benefit 
on its present basis to dependants of insured persons, it 
would— 
““ (a) greatly intensify the overlapping of services 
already referred to; 
“ (b) be extremely costly, because a large number 
of panel practitioners would be, in effect, working full 
time on payment basis devised for part-time work ; 
“ (0) leave out of the scheme at least one and a half 
millions of persons, including not only the destitute 
but a number of non-insured persons, such as hawkers, 
small shopkeepers, &c. 
““ Tt is, therefore, suggested that the best way of organis- 
ing the provision of medical treatment is to merge all 
existing forms of public medical service (including medical 
benefit under the National Health Insurance Acts) into one 
National Medical Service, thereby creating one unified 
organisation for the prevention and cure of disease. Under 
this system, the service would be provided for all persons 
below a given income limit.” 
373. When a body representing about 4 million insured persons 
urges these views upon us, we can hardly be accused of disregard- 
ing the interests of the insured population if we exclude, as we 
do deliberately. the provision of medical benefit to dependants