PROPOSED HOSPITAL EXTENSION

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 42, 13 November 1936, Page 6

PROPOSED HOSPITAL EXTENSION

Objection by Wellington City Council

DESIRE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Because councillors considered that sufficient, information about the proposals had not been given, the Wellington City Council last night decided to lodge a formal objection to the proposal to raise £600,006 for extending the Wellington Public Hospital and to send a deputation to seek fuller explanation on its plans from the 'Wellington Hospital Board. The hospital board forwarded formal advice of its intention tn consider at a meeting on November 26 a motion to seek authority from the Local Government Loans Board for the loan and notified that any objection to the proposal had to be lodged by November 22. The mayor, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, said the council had met the board some time ago and discussed the matter in a preliminary way and from what the board explained then it did not seem that objection could he taken to the proposal to enlarge the hospital. The sum was large but would he spread over a long period of years. While hospitals were run as thev were and the money was found as it was, the council could not object, although there might be better ways of financing hospitals. He moved that the council take no action. The council could really do little, although it had the right to object if objection was desired. Cr. C. H. Chapman. M.P., said the ratepayers of Wellington would have to find a "large proportion of the money. The hospital board no doubt felt that the work was essential, but the councils ratepayers had to find much of the money and the council should have fuller information. The hospital hoard had large and growing responsibilities, but the council should have full information as to why the loan was necessary. Perhaps a small committee could meet the board and discuss the matter and report back to the council. Cr. IV. ‘Appleton supported this view, saying that about half the money would have to be found from Wellington. The council had to levy the rate and collect it. and the sum was very large. He was not sure in his own mind that the work was warranted, because he understood the board was going to scrap buildings erected in comparatively recent years. He was not sure, either, that the hospitalshould be concentrated in Wellington, and he thought it might Im? better to have a subsidiary one in the Hutt Valley. In England and Australia it had been found inadvisable to have hospitals too large. The council should have a lot more information.

Cr. R. A. Wright, M.P., said the council had to levy the rate and would be blamed for it by the ratepayers. The only way councillors could justify the collecting of the rate was by having a firm grip of the whole position, and the proposal should certainly be discussed with the board so fhat councillors would have full information. He said that when a large loan was raised some years ago the board had led the people to believe that more money would not be required for many years. The size of the loan was surprising, and the council should know more about it. The mayor thought a purely formal objection might, be lodged and a committee of the council meet the board to discuss the proposals and plans and secure full information. Wellington had to find 40 per cent, of the sum, and no doubt the council should have all the knowledge of the position that could be secured. Cr. R. McKeen, M.P., urged the council to use care. It was treating with the affairs of another local body. Hospital board members no doubt thought the work essential, and it was hardly for the council to sit in judgment. He would oppose any objection to the loan. The council itself had from time to time given ratepayers shocks, and would not like it if other bodies sought to interfere with its expenditure. It would not be well for anything to happen that would be interpreted outside as opposition to the necessary extension of the hospital. Cr. A. Black said the main question was if tile work was necessary, He thought it was. On recent visits tn the hospital he had found that it was badly overcrowded. The work was necessary beyond question, and the only point was the best wav of doing it. If had been suggested that it might he better to have a hospital at Lower Hutt instead of having the whole system concentrated in Wellington. Sub-hospitals entailed heavy expense, for equipment and staff had to be dpplicated. He thought it was probably better to have a large hospital properly staffed and equipped for al] purposes than to have a multiplicity of small ones. Cr. .1. Read said the council, as the body which collected the rate, was entitled to have full information. He had no doubt, however, that the work was necessary. Cr. Chapman explained that he was not critical of the proposals. All that, he wanted was that the council should have full details of the proposals and the reason for them. If the board provided the information and the council was satisfied then it could support the proposal and help the board to get the money from the Government. The councillors could also then justify the expenditure to the ratepayers. The council, representing a large body of ratepayers, who would find a large part of the money, was entitled to all the information there was, ami should take steps to procure it. Cr. M. F. Luckie eaid there was a great deal to be said against one large hospital. It tended to attract patients who did not live in the hospital district or contribute to the hospital rates. Wellington had a high hospital rate and would have a higher one. Hospital expenditure was rising and the council should be sure that further expenditure was essential before approving of it. The council had to levy (lie rate and should have full information. The council should enter a formal objection.

Mr. Hi,’flop: We should remember this: whether they centralise or decentralise it. wo will still have to pay our proportion of a 4O per cent. Cr. M’right 'moved that the council cuter a formal objection to the loan. The mayor: On the grounds that the information given is not sufficient for the council?

Cr. M’right indicated that this was his intention, and the motion was seconded by Cr. Appleton. Cr. Chapman moved as an amendment that a committee of the council wait on the board to secure full information on the proposal, the committee to he Crs. Chapman, Appleton and M’right. The mayor ruled that the amendment was a separate motion. The motion was carried by eight votes to five. Ihe division list being:— Ayes: The mayor and Crs. M’right. Gaiidin. Dunean. Appleton. Huggins. Luckie, and Read. Noes: Crs. Chapman, McKeon. Black, A. Parlane and T. Brindle. The motion that a committee wait on the board was also carried.