NEW CASHMERE HOSPITAL

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27307, 25 March 1954, Page 3

NEW CASHMERE HOSPITAL

COSTS OF HEATING INSTALLATIONS EXPERTS’ ASSESSMENT As part of the negotiations about steam and, heating for the Cashmere Hospital, the North Canterbury Hospital Board .yesterday received a statement of comparative estimates agreed on between the board’s technical advisers and those of the Health Department, at a conference in Wellington. , , The capital costs and annual charges in the table were:—

Oil heating was ruled out of consideration because of foreign exchange problems. Mr J. J. Brownlee said he understood that in the estimates for coalfire equipment, £5OOO was provided for mechanical precipitators. British evidence had been given to the Prime Minister (-Mr Holland) that this type was not effective, find that a £40,000 plant was needed. “We can now. only wait,” said the chairman (Mr V. C. Lawn). Complaints about a smoke nuisance from' the boiler at, the Christchurch Hospital yesterday morning were made by Miss M. B. Howard, M.P. The smoke had been drifting back across the hospital, “and if plants in the gardens are affected, I’ll be after you,” she said. If the smoke had travelled the other way over the residential area, she thought complaints would have been well justified. “We are squealing about smoke at Cashmere. What are we doing about it here?” Miss Howard asked. The chairman said he thought the trouble arose from forcing the furnace. That was a red herring, said Mr Brownlee. The nuisance had existed for years. Cars left by the hospital for even a short time were coated with soot. “Board members should think what they are going to do about smoke if the Health Department is adamant,” he said. “We can be bad boys for not accepting the dictum of the ‘Poo Bahs’ in Wellington or go to the extreme, for i the good of the people, of discontinuing building at Cashmere until we are satisfied.” The secretary (Mr A. Prentice) said i that the sm6ke problem at the Christ- • church Hospital arose from forcing the : existing boilers. It should be abated i when the new boiler was installed.

Capital Annual Coal (economic £41,639 boilers) £129,400 Coal (water tube boilers) £152,000 £42,703 Gas £57,361 £60.532 Electricial £56,000 £64,150