THE AUCKLAND HOSPITAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 210, 5 September 1893, Page 2

THE AUCKLAND HOSPITAL.

APPLICATION FOR GOVERNMENT AID.

It will bo remembered that some two months ago the Auckland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, consequent upon the u rgent demands for Bpaco and accommodation in the Hospital, wrote to the In-spector-General of Hospitals asking for a grant of £2,000 to onlarge that building. The reply received was to the effect that the Department could nob very we'll spare in the present condition of tho colony the sum of £2,000, bub that if the Board would raise £1,000, the Government would give a like sum. This offer the Board considered, but replied that as Auckland had cost the colony less than any other province for hospital maintenance, and as it had spent £12,000 of private money (parb of the Costley grant) in a building which should really have been paid for out of the general revenue, it did nob feel itself justified in makinn a further call upon their private resources, and asked if the departmonb could not manage to grant the sum required. At the meeting of tho Hospital and Charitable Aid Board yesterday afternoon, The reply of Dr. McGregor, Inspector of Hospitals, to this second communication was read as under:—"l am directed by tho Minister in charge of this Department to express his regret that in consequence of the largo demands made on the Government for new hospital buildings in all parts ot the country, he finds it beyond his power to grant the sum required for tho very desirable objoct of extending the accommodation at tho Auckland Hospital." Mr Bollard (chairman) said he thought the logic of this latter oxtremely bad. it spoke of spending money, yob refused to spend it. Mr Lennox characterised the action of tho Dopartment as unfair. Aucklandshould not be left out in the cold while tho Government was spending the colony's money and part of the Auckland Board's money, as well, in other parts of the colony. It wa3 a matter of comment that Auckland was invariably treated in this manner. The Government, he considered, should havo been only too glad that tho request was not for a larger sum. Had it not been that the Board had spent £12,000 of its own money in the building, tho country would have been called upon to pay it. Bub the Auckland Board out of its own funds did this, and in so doing really paid into the general revenue that amount, because tho work on which tho money was expended was a necessary one, and one thab would have had to be paid for. Yet, now, when tbe Board asked for a paltry £2,000— £2,000 actually of its own money—it was refused. The chairman remarked thab he could not tell whether tho Government had gone ' back on their first offor of granting i'l,ooo, providing that the Board raised the other thousand. From the tenonr of Dr. McGregor's lottor, he rather fancied that they had, and that they now refused even to grant a single penny. Other members similarly expressed themselvos, It was suggested to write to the Auckland members urging the claim of tbe Board, but it bein^ stated that this course had already been pursued, it was decided, " That the chairman and secretary bo requestsd to draw up a lotter urging the claims of the Board upon the Government."