North Hokianga Hospital Affairs

Northern Advocate, 17 December 1942, Page 8

North Hokianga Hospital Affairs

Mr William Harlow, of Broadwood, writes: —The petition at present being: signed by a number of the residents of North Hokianga. and which an Auckland member of Parliament has _ consented to lay before the House of Representatives, goes to show the grave discontent which is felt through the action of Mr. A. H. Nordmeyer. Minister for Health, in permitting the Hokianga Hospital Board to put its health scheme into operation without Parliamentary sanction. Jn the writer’s opinion the scheme somewhat resembles the curate’s egg—not all bad, but good in patches. I append herewith copy of a letter I addressed to Mr. Nordmeyer on April 24 of this year, and his reply to same. Letter to Minister Dear Sir—l thank you for your, letter of the 20th ultimo, but much regret that it did not reply to the subject matter referred to in my letter to the Right Honourable the Prime. Minister regarding the expenditure of the Social Security funds l>v the Hokianga Hospital Board, which is : regarded in this district to he most undemocratic.

Jn your letter of the 10th ultimo to Mr. Long, of Ngunguru, as published in the “Northern Advocate’’ on the 2;uh ultimo, you are reported to say that the Government would be willing to consider am" system that is acceptable to the doctors, either throughout New Zealand or in any particular district. W ith that end in view I beg to place before von a scheme which 1 believe would place the question party politics once it was ugunited, a.id bring the medical profe. Mon under the '.. ill of the peop.c without any ' l "*""'onisin. As the public pay th(‘ social security tax, they should hate direct representation in the expenditure of the money. To give the taxpayer direct representation in the expenditure, 1 would suggest that the Hokianga Hospital Board he superseded by a Health Board to he elected on the following system:

The county could be divided into two spheres, with a line drawn from the Hokianga Heads running west to east to a point on the eastern boundary. Ridings vu he abolished. Plural voting to be abolished. Four members to represent the north side, and four on the south side. Two members on the north, and two on the south to represent the ratepayers. The two members on the north side to he elected by the whole of the ratepayers on tht? county roll on that side, and the two members to represent the south side to he elected by the whole of the ratepayers on the county roll on that side. Two Social Security representatives to he elected on the north side of the harbour. All persons on the Parliamentary roll, Maori and Pakeha, on the north side of the harbour to lie eligble for nomination, and to vote for such representation. Two Social Security representatives to he elected on tlie south side of the harbour on the same basis as the north. This would necessitate two ballot papers. Ratepayers would receive the two and vote for four candidates, while lion-ratepavers would receive one ballot paper and vote for two candidates. This would he quite a simple matter and would produce a board absolutely democratic. The ninth member of the hoard to be appointed by the Governor-General.

1 believe a hoard elected on this system would produce the best, available in the coimtv. «iii*l would raise the control 01 the public health to a very high level, which would be most beneficial to the people and also to the Health Department .

Yoti’-s faithfully, WILLIAM I-TAUI-OW.

Minister's Reply

Dear Air. Harlow—l shall be glad to give consideration to your suggestions for instituting a more democratic control over the medical scheme now operating in the Hokianga Hospital Board’s district. I would like to say at this stage that I think vou are being a little hasty in criticising the present organisation. No doubt you are aware that owing to the difficulty of obtaining the services of a suitable doctor for the northern- part of the district, the scheme is not yet in full operation, and I think it would he wise, before making any final judgment, lo wait until the full scheme as envisaged by the Government and the hospital board is put into operation. Yours faithfully, A. 11. NORDMEYER, Minister for Health.