THE HOSPITAL BOARD.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 67, 15 February 1935, Page 6

THE HOSPITAL BOARD.

The notification given to the Pohangina County Council by the Department of Health that, in accordance with the latest population and valuation figures, it is no longer entitled to separate representation upon the Palmerston North Hospital Board raises a question of importance to the county’s residents and ratepayers. The Department proposes that Kiwitea and Pohangina should be joined to provide the combined district’s representation, while. Palmerston North, by reason of its growth, will be granted an extra member. As pointed out by the Pohangina County Council, the objection to the proposal is that Kiwitea being the larger county Pohangina would possibly be deprived of representation, as its candidate could not hope to succeed at an election. The position is one which excites sympathy for

the county concerned, and the Manawatu County Council has passed a motion in which it correctly affirms that it is not in the interests of the Board’s district that a Contributing authority should lose its representation. The tendency in such matters is to raise the town versus country argument, and nothing is more unfortunate. Palmerston North has nothing to do with the matter. The Department is merely pursuing its duty in pointing out to the Pohangina County Council that under the principle of representation it has fallen below the requirements in population and valuation. If it is possible for the Department to find a way out of the situation that has arisen it should do so. In asking for the Council’s comments it may be inferred that the matter is merely tentative, and Palmerston North with four representatives might generously, if the law permits, accede to Pohangina County still retaining direct representation. One of the greatest principles of democracy .is that there should be no taxation without representation, and Pohangina •might very well be placed in this position. In any event, one representative for the two counties is a clumsy method of giving them membership on the Hospital Board which should be avoided wherever possible.