FULL NORTHLAND HOSPITAL MEETING

Northern Advocate, 23 August 1947, Page 2

FULL NORTHLAND HOSPITAL MEETING

MANGONUI ADVOCATES.,

(Special) KAITAtA, This Day. FULL exchange of views among Northland hospital boards prior to presentation of evidence before the amalgamation commission sitting at Kaikohe in October was advocated by the Mangonui board on Thursday. A strong etfoil should bo made Io secure the unanimity lacking at previous conferences on the subject, members considered.

Discussing the published suggestion of the Whangarei board chairman (Mr J. A. S. MaoKviv i for a conference of Northland board delegates prior to the commission, the secretary (Mr A. G. Wilson) said this was wrong in principle. The experience of past conferences had been that delegates had lacked authority to concur on the altered proposals frequently brought before these discussions.

Mr Wilson suggested that all members of each board should be present at a full conference after each body, at a preliminary special meeting, had drafted its views on amalgamation and circulated these to all other boards concerned.

This proposal was made difficult of operation now that a conference had already been called at Kaikohe for September 3. The conference on that date could ne nothing more than a preliminary to full discussion later, said the chairman (Mr J. W. Iloskin).

Delegates had been sent to past discussions fully cognisant of the board's view, but had lacked authority to make decisions on now alternatives. NORTHLAND FRONT The secretary's proposal if adopted would enable Northland boards to set up a united front on amalgamation issues, members considered.

It was difficult to express opinion on something not yet outlined by the state.

The chairman and Messrs T. S. Houston and E. F. Bradley together with the medical superintendent (Dr J. H. Webber>. and the secretary were deputed to attend the Kaikohe conference on September 3.

In view of the time factor the meeting decided to send delegates to the coming Kaikohe conference and there to suggest interchange of individual boards' findings following individual meetings. On the day prior to commencement of the commission's sitting, the meeting considered, all boards could confer "l full strength to reach unity on final proposals.