CLAIM FOR PAEROA

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 47, Issue 2667, 8 September 1937, Page 5

CLAIM FOR PAEROA

SITE FOR NEW HOSPITAL COMMISSIONER’S OPINION ADVANTAGES OVER THAMES. Apart from the difficulties enumerated, to which the Thames district has been heir, it does appear that unwittingly in 1919-1920 its financial strength was grievously sapped by a division of the Hauraki Plains county, whereby a portion of that county, of an estimated rateable capital value of £1,000,000, went to form part of the Piako county, and so became part of the Waikato hospital district, the rateable capital value of which is approximately £40,000,000, stated the report of the Hospital Commissioner, Mr F. H. Levien. He adds: There does appear to be a strong case for the return to Thames of some contiguous area of the Waikato district by way of compensation for the inadvertent loss of territory and revenue in 1919-1920. I conclude from the evidence that in the interest of hospital administration, and of the trend of county development, no material expansion of the Thames hospital should be permitted. Further, the site was not happily chosen, the environment lacking in essential curative values and inspiration. Unless new goldfields are discovered in the Coromandel or Waihi districts the statistics indicate that no additional building will be required at the Coromandel or Waihi hospital. In my view a hospital at Paeroa would best serve the amalgamated districts of Thames, Coromandel and Waihi.

These hospitals all have recourse to the Waikato hospital for cases requiring specialist treatment. There was definite indication that a hospital at Paeroa could, expect support both from the borough of Te Aroha (12 miles distant by tar-sealed road and with a rateable capital value of £728,000) and the contiguous parts of the Piako county, which at present have recourse to the Waikato hospital, 33 miles distant.