OROUA COUNTY COUNCIL

Feilding Star, Volume 7, Issue 2136, 15 February 1929, Page 8

OROUA COUNTY COUNCIL

BUSINESS AT TODAY'S .MEETING Or. A. Campbell (ehairnmn) presided at 10-day’s meeting of the Ordua County Council, and there were pmsnnl : Crss. \V. Grcenhow, O. McElroy, U. McDonald. 4. Shannon. W. McLclliin and T. Green. FINANCES Tho chairman said the financial position in regard to rates was as satisfactory as it had ever been, the amount outstanding being very small. 'This was chiefly because the Council had taken the stand that Die penalty should go on and payment insisted on where rates were overdue, thus showing that Hie Council meant to stick stfiiotly to tho provisions of the law for col loci ion of rail's. AORANCI BRIDGE The chairman said the proposed deputation to the Highways Board, as suggested by the Palmerston X. Borough ’ Council, lmd not come to anything, so far. though lie hoped the local bodies would again meet the Board. He still hoped the Board would, agree to increase lip* subsidy and that Falmintsfou would agree to make (a substantial contribution, I bus avoiding a Commission, lie learned Unit the Kiwitea County Council had declined to make any contribnlion. (T, McDonald maintained that either tlic Kiwitea or Pohangjna Councils would voluntarily contribute anything towards the cost of Hie bridge. On account, of (lie cost the cliairmain hoped the Commission would be avoided. The matter wa* left in (lie hands of the Chairman. RAILWAY CROSSING AT ASIIHURST . The District Engineer of the Main Highways Board wrote with regard to tile elimination of a level crossing at Ashlnirst. The railway Department. had prepared an estimate of the cost of the bridge as follows: Bridge' £3300. approaches £2OOO. ■ The Board suggested, that the Council should contribute 15 per cent, to Ihe cos t-. —The chairman suggested the Poliangiuu Council should he asked to contribute towards the 15 per

cent. Th t > District Engineer bad also suggested the Ashlnirst Jockey Club would need a new entrance, but Cr. McDonald was of the opinion that the Club could not. get an entrance where tlie engineer suggested, nor did they need it. It was decided to await a reply from the Pohangina Council.

GENERAL

Hon. J. G. Cobbe thanked the Council for its letter of emigration tion on his appointment to the Cabinet.

It was decided to hold over tlie request by tho Highways Board for list of claims for work done on highways.

HOSPITAL MATTERS

Cr. McElroy referred to the question of the Hospital Boards taking over the sanatoria from the Govern-

ment, which question is to come he

for 0 Hid Hospital Board’s Conference next month. This question bail been discussed at, the Palmerston Board yesterday, but the Board had decided against supporting the proposal in lb e meantime. Cr. McElroy thought they should get more informal ion from the Government I adore they went any further. At present Hie Palmerston Board was paying £2OOO a year to the Governmenl in fees for patients in the sanatoria, and there was a feeling that the sanatoria were not being conducted in the interests of the peoplo. The matter would be further ventilated. Cr, McElroy referred to other limiters relative to the Board. He pointed out that Palmerston, though sending the largest number of patients to Hi,., hospital, was not paying its fair share of Hu* cost. Further, Hi,, counties were sending fewer patients to the hospital, though paying lbe larger proportion of the cost. Cr, Green said he had ascertained i ' that the sanatoria patients were costing the Board £4OOO a year, not £2OOO. It had been found that in certain places that the Beards could run the sanatoria more cheaply Hum the Government, therefore the proposal had been made that the Boards should take them over. Later in the discussion Cr MeElroy said the hospital costs were going to ho a serious levy on the taxpayers*. The hospital was open to all. probably rightly so. hut it nicant more work on the honorary medical staff. The number of surgical operations performed weekly in Palmerston was astonishing.

Cr. McElroy urged that the counties should make further representations regarding the. allocation of levies, which was unfair to the eoun--1 ies. TENDERS FOR BRIDGE Tlie tender of Messrs Lord and Maegaaril, at; £5(14 was accepted for the construction of 'a bridge at Valley road.