RELIEF REFUSED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 162, 11 July 1930, Page 5

RELIEF REFUSED.

HOSPITAL BOARD AT WAI-HI. PLIGHT OF TWO WRECKED FISHERMEN. MAYOR'S ACTION SUPPORTED. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WAIHI this day. That an appeal made to the Waihi Hospital and Charitable Aid Board by the Mayor of Waihi, Mr. W. M. Wallnutt, for temporary assistance on behalf of two of the fishermen who were shipwrecked at Waihi Beach on the night of June 19 had been refused was brought under public notice by Mr. H. W. Hopkins at a meeting of the Borough Council last evening. Mr. Hopkins submitted that the action of the board constituted a slight and that it should not be overlooked. He moved that the council strongly protests against the action' of the board in refusing to.assist and that the council approves of the action of the Mayor in reporting the matter to the Minister. A debate, which waxed very warm at times, ensued. Mrs. Ford Williams, a member of the board, described the action of the board as ignorant and pigheaded. Mr. A. E. Robinson, also a member of the board, said the record of the board would compare more than favourably with that of any similar institution in New Zealand. He declined to give any explanation .of the board's action and asked permission to retire when the resolution was put, which was granted. Messrs. E. Swindells and C. Butcher said they were willing to support the action of the Mayor, but they agreed with Mr. Robinson that the council should not croes swords with the board. Mr. Hopkins interjected that the offensive had been taken by the board. Mr. S. H. Walmsley objected to portion of the motion,! but.said he would support the Mayor's action. The Mayor said these men in distress were strangers ajt their gates and they were refused assistance'on a technical point, which he considered an outrage to public sentiment. The men had appeared before him on the morning after the storm scantily clothed, one being barefooted, and he was considerably shocked to learn later that his appeal to the board had ' been turned down on the ground of a trivial techni-' cality in that the men had resided in another district whilst they had been fishing for over three months. He said that allegations made in 1 certain quarters that the men were under the influence of liquor were absolutely untrue.

The motion was carried on the casting vote of the Mayor.