"BREACH OF FAITH"

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 113, 14 May 1937, Page 10

"BREACH OF FAITH"

THE HOSPITAL LOAN

OPINION OF COUNTY

MAKARA'S DECISION

Criticism of the attitude of the Wellington Hospital Board towards various local bodies, and of incidence of the hospital rate on counties in the Wellington district, was expressed by speakers at today's meeting of the Makara County Council. It was decided that the council should approve the action taken by last Tuesday's conference of local bodies. The chairman, Councillor R. G. Mexted, outlined the history of the hospital loan proposals during the last two years. The first proposal for a £150,000 loan was agreed to. Then, a year later, he said, a cool proposal for £600,000 was put before the local bodies without practically any explanation. The local bodies raised an objection, and asked to see what the loan was really wanted for. "It was obvious to us that the board had expert advice before the first proposal was put forward," he continued. "We subsequently asked to have a meeting with the Wellington Hospital Board. At this, questions were asked as to what actual running costs were involved, but we received no satisfactory reply. A smaller committee was set up, and the matter was discussed in full. We were not satisfied with • the Hospital Board's answers." It was suggested, Councillor Mexted said, that a further proposal should be placed before local bodies by the Hospital Board. The board agreed on this, so that it was impolitic for the local bodies to express their opinions on the matter. Thus the local bodies made no public expression of opinion. "BOARD HAS IGNORED US." "The Hospital Board has broken faith," he said. "It has ignored us. The matter has gone through the Loans Board, and it was stated there that what the local bodies were questioning was not the matter of the £600,000 loan, but how it was to be spent. This is entirely untrue. The bodies object to the amount to be spent, without explanation. The hospital rate in this county will be equal \o the general rate. Leading doctors have expressed the opinion that in view of the way the, local bodies are placed financially, the project is unnecessary. It is possible to have too large a hospital. Any institution' can get to the point where it cannot be run economically. Will not the cost per bed increase when we make the big hospitals bigger?" Councillor Mexted outlined the discussion at last Tuesday's meeting of representatives of Wellington local bodies exclusive of the City Council, and moved that the Makara County Council should support the meeting and send a representative together with those of the other bodies concerned to the Minister of Health to ask for the erection of a hospital for Wellington districts exclusive of Wellington City. It was included in the motion that the chairman should be the council's delegate. FRYING-PAN AND FIRE. "We want to make sure that we are not jumping out of the frying-pan into the fire," said Councillor E. ?Windley. "We are advocating a new hospital district without any knowledge of the expense involved. It would be better to wait until figures could be obtained and discussed. We may already be committed to the £600,000 loan. The Government is not favourably inclined towards creating more hospital districts." Councillor Mexted explained that tlie question of going into the figures wfe raised, but that it was thought by the conference of local bodies that it was Bes.t to show the Hospital Board what it intended. to do. The local bodies could not let the board accuse -them of letting the grass grow under their feet. "All we can do under the present . legislation is to register a protest and ; pay," said Councillor H. W. Bothamley. Councillor J. Purchase pointed out . that the ratio of accidents in the city , as to the country was as 10 to one. It i was not fair that the country should i be asked to pay for its immunity. "I am with Councillor Windley, in i that I am not disposed to vote unless I . am shown figures regarding the pro- . posed new hospital," said Councillor ' Bothamley. Councillor Mexted: Statistics show . that the larger the hospital, the more J costly the bed. ? Councillor Bothamley: That is proJ bably because of the fact that the larger '■ hospital provides more up-to-date and ? more expensive facilities. J Councillor Mexted: An answer to ? such a question is not prepared in five . minutes. J Councillor Bothamley: But in the ? meantime you are asking us to vote on > something about which we are comj pletely in the dark. 1 TO HOLD MATTERS UP. "I am in sympathy with the move- ; ment, but I am persuaded that Coun--1 cillor Bothamley is right," said Coiin- [ cillor Purchase. "If you want to hold ; the thing up, there is only one thing ' to do, and that is for every local body 1 to notify the Minister that it will not ? strike a rate for this purpose." Councillor Bothamley suggested that , the Minister should be interviewed by ' the local bodies concerned for the pur- - pose of holding matters up until they could investigate figures of cost and ■ maintenance. In the face of affairs as ', they were, he could not be expected to ' vote in favour of the conference's decision. Councillor Mexted: It is a matter of , confidence. You are asked to have confidence in your chairman. It is ' hardly likely that the representatives J of all the local bodies will take such , a foolish step as has been indicated. ? Councillor Bothamley: You may be making yourselves a lot of goats. You : will go to the Minister, obtain his per- ? mission to go ahead with the other hospital, you will discover the cost, ? and then you will humbly ask to be back with the Wellington Hospital . Board and its £600,000. After further discussion, the motion was put and carried.