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