HOSPITAL EXPENDITURE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 288, 3 December 1907, Page 7

HOSPITAL EXPENDITURE.

Thirthe 1 " discussion took place at the; of the Hospital and Charitable ' I yesterday afternoon upon the i nation of expenditure. A resolution - received from the City Council apof the progressive policy adopt*,i l)Y D the Board. Another resolution j s received from thr Devouport Conn-, M orotesting against "the apparent | fare methods of the Board in tlie mat■Joi expenditure/ _*' f err ins to the latter communication, j *!,> chairman. Mr. Baimali. moved that I h letter be received, adding, "of course ■ fwt asrree with it." 3lr "-" X - Bloomtio,d said ;t Avas :l on= resolution to come from a public tsl }. * report from the committee iV-ince been, to his mind, very much Credited, by what had followed. He r~j rea d statements made by Mr. Bruce, Mch were inaccurate, and not facts, and Lfo resolutions were no doubt the rei» «f •statements made outside without . rol) er authority. ' -XT \_ Bruce said he had never read ■rttin" Dllt effi documents, and the Skrd could not object to that. He had t =tated anything which was not a Bloomfield: "VThat about the ft Mr' Bruce: 'I say there has been •tres'=rfe extravagance tuere. The Chairman: "Mr. Bruce also said •r-»0 was paid for pictures. "vr Bruce: That is so. - The chairman said as a matter oi fact Mr* Bruce was chairman of the com•f'tee which recommended the drawing these plans which he called pictures. Mr 'Bruce was also present when the Board adopted the committee's report, u d yet his dissent was not recorded. vlr Bruce said he might have been chairman of the committee, and still not have agreed with the report. ilr Bagnall said the member who was jetting all the blame (the chaiVman) was tot present at that meeting. jlj Rutherford said there wajs no need in ai<Tie over the matter. The Board ordered the plans, Mr. Hartley prepared them. and. had to be paid. The chairman said what lie objected to ira s the paying for those plans being referred to as something wicked done by the Board. It was wrong to make out jiat it was not fair and reasonable expenditure. The members felt that the acwunt was one that must be paid. The Dcvonport letter was then foraally received. •jig chairman subsequently said as that, was the last meeting of the Board, taere were a few words he would iike to say. Notwithstanding all that had leen said, a deal of very good •R-ork had been done by the present Board. With regard to the loan expenditure, there seemed to be an impression abroad that the Board did not mow very much what it was doing. IhatTras all bunkum. The idea seemed to be that the Board had let things drift; hnt such was not the case. 31r. Bagnall then explained the position of affairs on soirerwhat similar lines to hi 3 .•remarks at the special meeting of the (Sty Council. In addition, he pointed out that, so far, only £18,120 of the i£-Z5,000 loan had been expended, but : "the whole had been contracted for. The "Board had still power to raise another i' 25,000 loan when required. They had kept well within the Board's income in the matter of expenditure, the balance in hand at the 30th of September being v≤ 1746, after paying £1000 towards the observation cottage out of ordinary income. With regard to the half year ending March 31 next, the estimated income ivas £-20,000; and, after paying £483 on the observation cottage, there should .still-be a credit balance of £2000 at that date. He contended, therefore, that the Board's affairs were on a sound financial basis, wnich reflected credit Bpon all connected with its management.