HOSPITAL ACCOMMODATION

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2485, 11 June 1915, Page 2

HOSPITAL ACCOMMODATION

j FOR WOUNDED SOLDIERS. • The following letter was received at the _ City Council last night from the ; Minister of Public Health (the Hon. R. H. Rhodes): —"With regard to the generous offer of your council to provide a special hospital building for the accommodation of wounded troopers re- ■ turning to Wellington from the Front, ■ I should be grateful if you could ini form me speoifically the intentions of i your oounoil on the matter. I need hardly say how much the Government appreciates the generous offer that your counoil has made. I should be very glad, therefore, if you could inform me the amount that your council is prepared to expend in the matter, so that the Department will be able to consider the accommodation to be provided, in addition to the accommodation available for tho sick and wounded in other institutions in the Wellington district." The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) said that . he was afraid tlie Minister had not got the purport of tho council's offer. When the news came through that quite a number of wounded would be returning from tho Dardanelles, and that there might he congestion as far as hospital accommodation was concerned, the council communicated with the Government;, to tihe effect that if necessary tliey would put up a temporary building. Tlie idea was to put this up, if needed, ou the piece of land adjacent to tho Genoral Hospital. It was never intended, as far as he was aware, that this should bo a hospital of a permanent character; it was merely to relievo congestion at a critical time. The ( y wero not prepared to put up a hospital to be supplementary to the General Hospital of this City. He moved that their original offer should bo repeated. Councillor W. T. Hildreth seconded the motion. He thought the Minister should notify the council of the likely need, and then the matter could be dealt with. Tlie motion was carried.