THE HOSPITALS BILL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 202, 20 May 1908, Page 8

THE HOSPITALS BILL.

FURTHER DISCUSSED BY HOSPITAL TRUSTEES. MORE AMENDMENTS DESIRED. Tho Wellington Hospital Trustees resumed yesterday their consideration of tho Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Bill, with a view to formulating remits for the forthcoming conference., Part I of tho Bill was dealt with at a previous meeting, but further amendments were agreed to on tho motion of members who were not presont on tho former occasion. On tho motion of Mr. Bolton, tho Trustees agreed to rccommend an addition to Clauso G to the effect that tho members of tho Board from each sub-district, other than the chairman of such sub-district, shall bo chosen by the vote of tho sub-district committee. On tho motion of the samo member, tho Trustees agreed to an amendment to Clauso 19, to givo the Board power to acquire land for a site for an institution under the Public Works Act, 1905, or otherwise. At Clauso 39, which provides for appeals by contributing authorities against the assessments of the Board, an amendment was adopted fixing a time r limit of one month to tho right of appeal. In order to give timo fo_r appeals, Clauso 37 was amended so that the Board's estimates should be mado up in February instead of March: . Tho 'conforenco was recommended to consider tho desirability or otherwise of • payment of chairmen of sub-committec3. This concluded tho consideration of Part I.

Part II of the Bill was approved without amendment. Clauso 74 (Part III) enables a Board to recover tho cost of relief given to a person corning from an outsido district from tho Board of such district, if tho person Relieved ha,'J resided in such district for at least six months out of tho preceding twelve. Tho Trustees adopted an amendment to insert "the longest consecutive period during such twelve months," in place of " at least six months." A remit was adopted to amend Clauso 75 by throwing tho cost of maintenance of destitute children in industrial schools upon tho district whero the children or their parents liavo resided for ' tho longest consccutivo period within the twelve months preceding the making of the order for commitment, instead of upon tho district whero the order was made. The Trustees resolved in favour of amending Clauso 81, " departmental inquiries," by empowering tho Minister to. givo such directions as the commissioner making the inquiry shall recommend, instead of such directions as tho Minister himself may think fit. Tho remaining clauses and tho schedules were approved. \ - Tho Chairman, Mr. G. London, and Mr. F. G. Bolton were appointed delegates to tho conforenco.