HOSPITALS AND CHARITABLE AID.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 15124, 13 October 1909, Page 6

HOSPITALS AND CHARITABLE AID.

.The now hospitals and charitable aid proposals are a welcome advance on the existing legislation. The amalgamation of hospital and charitable aid administration is not in itself a gain, because experience has shown that even under the present system of separate boards the members of the controlling authorities are not able or not willing to give any extended attention to their duties, This is particularly the case in regard to charitable aid in Canterbury. The tendency has always been, to leave the administration very largely in the hands of the permanent secretary, and the only enthusiasm shown by the members of tho board generally has been concerned with the saving of tho rates. Now, saving the rates is an excellent policy, provided it is coupled with a far-sighted understanding of the problems of poverty; but, unfortunately, tho average member of a charitable aid board has been no student of these problems and has shown little disposition to master even their local aspects. Wo are afraid that when hospital and poor relief administration in each district is entrusted to one body, instead of two, tho demand upon the time of tho members ci the controlling authority will bo excessive. But we are not inclined to make a strong point of this weakness of the new proposals, because the Minister has included in his Bill a reform that should commend it to the whole community. We should have preferred, of course, the election of the new boards on the broadest possible franchise, but at any rate wo are promised the abolition of. ;

the system of indirect representation, and that is a tremendous advance. Once the principle of direct representation receives recognition from the Legislature tho main reform for which we have contended will have been accomplished. So far as the boroughs are concerned, the local franchise on which tho members of the new boards are to be elected will prove fairly satisfactory, and it will depend very largely upon the use that is made of that franchise how soon Parliament will extend it to the country districts. We may have to discuss certain aspects of the new proposals more in detail, but in the meantime we can congratulate the Minister upon the early fulfilment of his promise to ; institute reforms in regard to the constitution of the controlling lpodies.