PETITION REGARDING NEW HOSPITAL

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 74, 21 December 1937, Page 6

PETITION REGARDING NEW HOSPITAL

Lower Hutt Council’s

Approval

MAYOR CLEARS UP MISAPPREHENSION

With but one dissentient, the Lower I Hutt Borough Council, at its meeting last night, approved of two resolutions disapproving of the. Wellington Hospital Board’s proposals for a new hospital. The first was from the Wellington Ratepayers’ Association regarding the setting-ui> of a committee to investigate the possim-j cost Of any needed improvements and to report on the proposal of a new hospital in the Hutt Valley, and the second from the Hutt County Council regarding the set-ting-up of a royal commission. It was also decided to approve of the petition which it was proposed to circulate for signature. The mayor, Mr. J. W. Andrews, said that favourable replies had been received from all local bodyes with the exception of Petone. The mayor of Petonc had evidently been under a misapprehension that the petition emanated from him (Mr. Andrews) and did not have the approval of the Lower Hutt Borough Council. The petition was the recommendation of a meeting’ of chairmen of local bodies represented at the public meeting held at Wellington. It being necessary for someone to prepare the petition, Mr. Andrews had done so, and it had been forwarded to local bodies for their approval, advice of which had been received from all concerned except Petone. The mayor of Pctone had thought it was necessary to rescind a previous resolution from the Hutt County Council before the petition could be supported. Mr. Andrews said that following the meeting of the Petone Borough Council, he had communicated with Mr. Scholefield and had explained the position. Mr. Scholefield had promised to give further consideration to the matter, but so far he had not heard anything from him. At this stage the council entered into a discussion on the pros and cons o£ the hospital scheme. Will Not Relieve Shortage. The mayor said the great cry was concerning the shortage o£ beds. “It may be news to you, but the scheme docs not provide for one additional bed,” he said. "That will not overcome the shortage. Furthermore, it will be fully three years before the new hospital would be built. ! Our scheme would provide for more than j 200 additional beds which would be'! ready in 12 months.” Cr. IV. B. Rainey: Are you quite sure i that the present scheme will not mean J that there will be extra beds? Mr. Andrews: Quite. Cr. R. M. Russell contended that the hospital board was taking the narrow view. He did not know what life was being placed on the new hospital, but it could quite safely be said that within 25 or ,30 years the population of the Hutt Valley would increase at a greater ratio than that in Wellington. When the adoption of the Wellington ratepayers’ resolution was moved, Cr. P. Dowse moved an* amendment that the name of the chairman of tlie Wellington Ratepayers' Association be deleted on the ground that it wa« not a publicly-elected body. This was seconded by Cr. W. A. F. Hall.

The mayor said the association advertised its meeting. Any person could attend and stand for election. The amendment was defeated.