HOSPITAL BOARD

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 106, 31 October 1914, Page 3

HOSPITAL BOARD

POSITION OF HOROWHENUA COUNTY The Hospital and Charitable Aid Board met yesterday, to consider the position of Horowhenua County, which desires exclusion from the Wellington Hospital District. Mr. G. Nash said when the Horowhenua deputation waited on the board the board intimated that if the Government offered no objection to the severance of the Horowhenua district, then it would not oppose the proposal. He thought that the board should keep its word. Mr. F. T. Moore thought the Otaki Hospital was not wanted by the Wellington district. The severance should be agreed to, because it was inevitable that the Horowhenua district would be separated into a separate hospital dis ; trict. He cited the recent case of Taumarunui, severed from Waikato. The Rev. Van Staveren thought the cases were not parallel. It was a wrong thing to multiply these small hospital districts. He advocated the merging of the Palmerston district in the Wellington district. He would not agree to severance. _ Mr. D. Robertson opposed severance,' in the interests of the HTorowhenua people themselves. He concurred with the previous speaker as to the disadvantage of multiplying small districts. There was a cottage hospital at_ Otaki, and excellent railway communication with Wellington for urgent cases Mr. D. M'Laren could not see his way to agree to severance, while readily acknowledging the honesty and conscientiousness of opponents. The proposed change would prejudicially affect both local and general taxpayers. He held that tile matter was one that the Government should deal with, and the Government would do so if it thought fit, whether the board agreed to it or not. The principle involved was most important. He feared that if this kind of thing were done the urban and rural districts would be separated, and the owners of the rich lands of the country would be relieved of their responsibilities. 'He argued that it would be a much wiser policy for. the Horowhenua people if they assisted the board in reviewing the whole position as it was to-day. It was better to maintain the status ill quo. Mr. B. R. Gardener said he had heard, no practical argument against the severance. He complained of patients, numbering forty-seven, from the Horowhenua district who could not be sent to Wellington, and had to be treated at Palmerston North, and yet Horowhenua had to contribute to the Wellington institution. The farthest point of Horowhentia was seventy-five miles from Wellington. Out-patients in his district coiildnot be sent to Wellington.! Otaki Hospital could be better administered by a local board. The control of . this institution was practically, done from Wellington. He contended that this kind of thing increased cost of administration. He was astonished to find that men occupying positions on the board should go behind their opinions, giving their consent to the change and then withdrawing it. He thought this was calculated to shake public confidence in the board. The proposal should be assented to without any objection whatever. He was going to battle away for the change until • it was accomplished. The Horowhenua ' County had not been treated fairly or justly, being required to pay for what they were not able to receive. They ' had 10,000 people in Horowhenua, who were not able to avail themselves of the treatment for which they were taxed. It seemed useless for him to plead any further with the board. There was hypocrisy in this matter. There was something behind it, something up their sleeves. Mr. M'Lareu strongly resented Mr. Gardener's tone. He had no right to reflect upon the integrity of his fellowmembere. The Chairman agreed that Mr. Gardener had gone too far. Mr._ Gardener withdrew his remarks. He did not think members were acting properly in withdrawing their opinion. The Chairman defended members changing their opinions. Mr. Gardener warned the "board that it took a lot to kill him and his fellowmembers, and the board would hear more about it. i Mr. J. W. M'Ewan held that if a. member "put his foot in it, he is entitled to pull it out again.',' If a mistake had been made then the board had a right to correct it. He doubted if the Horowhenua people could be trusted. The man who owned a bit of land was painfully economical in the matter of expenditure on public health. He could not conceiye that Forowhenua was prepared to pay £1400 a year for Otaki Hospital, plus all the other charges that would be incurred, if the district had all that Mr. Gardener says it ought to have and Wellington had. Mr. Castle considered that Mr. Gardener had not been fair in putti'ig nts case. There had not been one reason shown why or how the Horowhenua County should benefit. Tho motion for rescinding the board's resolution opposing severance of the Horowhenua County was lost on the voices.