Remembering Sir Paul Boffa

When Sir Paul Boffa died on July 6, 1962 - 46 years ago next Sunday - we lost an honest and upright politician who had contributed a lot in his lifetime to the emancipation of our people. When Dr Boffa became Prime Minister in the very difficult post-war years, he told the Maltese, "Rights should go along with duties." How true.

After serving with distinction with the Royal Army Medical Corps during World War I, Dr Boffa became known for his social and medical work among the poor and needy, often without remuneration.

In the past 50 years, great strides forward have been made in social legislation and improved medical services for the elderly, the handicapped, etc. Together with Lord Gerald Strickland, Dr Boffa campaigned for the building of St Luke's Hospital in the 1920s. This started in 1930 and has served our population well.

Among other legislation, Dr Boffa and Lord Strickland passed the first Workmen's Compensation Act, by which employers and workers were obliged to pay a few pennies a week into a fund from which they received a small allowance in case of injury at work.

In due course they pressed for an improvement in teachers' salaries because in the 1930s they were paid miserably. Dr Boffa, once in power, gave members of the police force a sense of dignity and the chance to retire after 25 years' service. His sterling services as wartime commissioner are well known.

Generally, but not always, statesmen are measured by their well known character and results too. After these years, Sir Paul Boffa is still remembered with esteem for his sensible legislation and social justice.