N.Z. HOSPITAL SHIP.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 9153, 29 May 1915, Page 7

N.Z. HOSPITAL SHIP.

BOROUGH COUNCIL VOTE £100.

A special meeting of the Ashburton Borough Council was held last evening. Present: His Worship the Mayor (Mr R. Galbraitb), and Councillors R. Kerr, F. Z. I). Ferriman, J". B. Christian, P. L. Orr, G. H. Buchanan, H. R. C. McElroa, G. 1). H. Hefford, and H. A. Lloyd. In accordance with, notice of motion givon, Cr. Christian moved: "That the sum of £100 be voted to the Hospital Ship Fund." Cr. Christian said he would like to associate Cr. Ferriman's name with the motion.

Cr. Ferriman said he did not wish his name to be taken in connection with the motion. Ho only wanted to see the motion put through by thi> Council. Cr. Kerr said ho would second tin motion. He thought the Council would be doing the right thing in voting the money. Because a hospital ship waa not available at present, our boys were scattered to hospitals in the four corners of the earth.

The Mayor said that he did uot think that.there was any doubt that the Council was within its legal rights in voting the money. Ho asked the Clerk to read out the portion of the Act dealing with such - donations '. (On tils being done all the councillors were agreed that the Council had every right to so deal with the money). The Mayor further intimated that a letter and a telegram had been sent to the Government asking the Council's legal position, but that up to the present no answer had been received.

Cr. Buchanan said that the Council had already heard his opinion on the matter. Had the Council control of the money at its disposal in any other way ? ho would be glad to support the motion. The object had his sincen sympathy. If a vote were to be taken, he asked permission to withdraw from the table.

Permission being granted, Cr. Buchanan then left his seat.

Cr. McElrea said he also had an explanation to make. He was still of the same opinion that the money on hand was hardly adaptable to a case of this kind. Why he wished to speak on the subject was that it had occurred to him that many calls such as this one were going to be made on the Council, and on the whole of the British Empire throughout the duration of the war, and they had to think of the time ahead of them. B^ thought that the Council should adopi some policy in connection with such calls. The Council should take a lead in the matter, and show that it was willing to make sacrifices, and so do what it could to help enlisting to proceed briskly. The policy he suggested was that the Council should make a special rate to raise £500, which would be held to cover all appeals. He agreed with Cr. Buchanan, that the 1, money at present in hand was there ( for a definite purpose, but he was entirely opposed to voting against the motion. It would be repulsive to him to be compelled to vote against money being sent to the front for such a purpose. He wanted to know the Council's future attitude in such mat- 1 ters. however. If the vote of £100; were decided upon he wanted to know < what works on the estimates would bo i ear-marked for the purpose. Cr. Or said it was his intention to j vote f v or..the , motion. He. had .not | spoken at the previous meeting be- j cause he thought that Cr. Ferriman's ; proposal to vote over £300 was out of j all proportion. He suggested that the ; money should come out of the esti- j nrntes for "contingencies," which { were marked down at £164. It was j lan appeal of a kind that generally j came only once in a lifetime. He I hoped that it would never be needed j again. Thut the Government was in j favour of such donations was evident j from the wording of the Act. It was , a question of dealing with each appeal j on its merits. Cr. Hefford said that he intended to support the motion. He thought that i it was only what the ratepayers would • want the Council to do. Cr. Lloyd said that without going into the why and wherefore, he was going to support the motion. The Mayor said he also intended to vote for the motion. ' . i The motion was then carried unanimously.