THE HOSPITALS AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS ACT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7392, 23 March 1886, Page 6

THE HOSPITALS AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS ACT.

' V SOT' ' I ''™ •> r» "•— I•' MEETING OS 1 / WAI&ATO LOOAL_ J . ,r . BODIES. to .fJfcJtfIW,~OWN CORRESPONDENT.] ~4.,;. j. ~ , HaHii/ton, Monday. 4, jlpnyyNQ of delegates from the Waikato lW»l government bodies wu held in the Borough Council Chambers to-day, convened by Mr. W. A. Graham. There were present Messrs. Pegler, Whyte (M.H.R.), Lake (M.H.R.), Barugh, and Primrose. The Mayor, Mr. Graham, occupied the chair, and explained what had been done in Auckland, and said the meeting was called to disease their future oonrse of aotion. Mr. Lake took it that they went to Auckland to resist the Act. They wore misrepresented in the Auckland papers. Their object was to tide things over till the House met. Mr. M'Qkeohnie'a motion had brought the mattor to « crisis. The demands under this resolution practically covered the whole question of hospital, refuges, and oharitable aid, and that, too, for sixteen months. Whether it was legal or not was doubtful. They had at any rate ignored Messrs Hesketh and Richmond's opinion. The four counties and the borough of Hamilton would shortly be called upon to pay up. He believed the demand was totally wrong at law. Ho did not expect much to come of this motion to form a separate district, hut it would strengthen their hands in the House. One point had been gained—that fifty per cent, might be returned for local distribution. Mr. Barugh thought the principal matter to be considered was the separation from the Anoklaud Board of the four oountieß. Mr. Graham said the question should be decided whether these counties should further resist payment at law or not. The cheque in paymoot of Hamilton (£22) now lay on the table, and he was willing to take to-day 8 decision whether he would pay it away or not. The whole mischief bad been in the two matters (hospital maintenance and charitable aid) being mixed up together. Mr. Barugh had stated that the Waikato County did not wish to go to law, Mr. Maya had said he intended to pay, but wished for a test case. Mr. Waddel had stated that a judgment had been given in favor of the Government down South. (Several members present stated that neither Mr. Waddel nor anyone else could mention the name of tha case.) Mr. Pegler said the Act worked most unjustly in that oonnty, where the County Act was not in force, as the highway districts only covered part of the oounty, while they would be called upon to contribute for the whole county. The Highway Boards would refute to pay the demand, and let the Government stop* the money from subsidies if they could. Raglan had no poor, and would rather have worked with the city people if it could have been done fairly. They should go on protesting against the Act till it was either satisfactorily amended, or on the other hand a separate district was established for Hamilton and the four counties. He believed it would be better to separate and establish a hospital at Hamilton. There was no need to go to law. They should simply refuse to pay, and let the Government stop the subsidy. Mr. Baraugh said that Mr. E. Lake's separation resolution at the District Boards on Friday exactly meet his views. M Graham said it would be shown that a hospital established in Waikato would be a positive gain to Auckland, that patients in Auckland advanced to a certain stage of convalesence could with benefit be transferred to the Waik&tb Hospital and vice versa. Evidently the Auokland people thought we wanted to Bhant our paupers and patients on them, We thought the same of Anokland. There was a mutual distrust, which he hoped would be removed by discussion. The Auckland Board had now determined to work the Act, and it was useless for a minority of the Board to fight the majority. Mr, Primrose, of Waikato, said he believed that the Waikato County was still of the same opinion to oppose the levy. There was no ohange in the position since the previous meeting, when it was agreed that V\ a»ikato, Waipa, Raglan, Piako, and Hamilton would band together to resist payment. Be did not believe his colleagues had altered their opinion since then. Mr. (irahamsaid that since that meeting legal advice had been taken, and it had been decided by Mr. O'Neill that it was useless to resist the law. He took this to mean that the agreement to resist naturally fell through. Tbey could not hope to gain by resistance. Mr. Whyte said there wu no going to law in. the matter, as the Government would simply stop the subsidies. He believed the best plan was to adopt a policy of masterly inactivity by sitting still and giving a practical protest to the law, leaving the Government to collect the monay in the way they had threatened to do. Mr. Primrose said the Waikato Council would never send a cheque to the Board. They would never yield. They would resist it to the end. Mr. Whyte said nothing would be gained by wrongfully paying. They should continue to protest. When the subsidies closed, or were insufficient, let the Government or the United Board take action. The local bodies would then be in the better position of defendant. Mr. Graham said when the 2ue*tion was discussed in the Waikato 'ounty chambers and resistance agreed on, he understood the objection to be not to hospital maintance. but to charitable aid. Mr. Lake said before anyone of the contracting parties paid it should have met the others and taken the advice of able solicitors, such as Messrs. Uesketh and Richmond. It was agreed that legal opinion should have been obtained conjointly, and acted on conjointly, and not by separate action on the part of any contracting party. Mr. Primrose, Chairman of the Waikato Council, again affirmed his county would not pay. They would resist, and never acknowledge the stoppage of the payments of their subsidy, Mr. Barugh said as a Waikato councillor he endorsed what Mr. Primrose had said. Mr. Whyte ■aid it seemed all were agreed that unless attacked legal steps were not to be taken against the Board or the Government, but to have the Government to take the odious course of stopping the subsidies. Before there would be occasion to levy a rate there was every reason to hope that the Legislature would amend the Act. Mr. Lake thought the Chairman of the Waipa Council should have an opportunity of giving his opinion before deciding on any new step. Mr. Primrose •aid the real remedy was to separate from the Auckland district, but he feared that they would only get a small measure of justice from the Legislature, as Auckland selfishness would not let go a district from -vhich. by keeping it attached to them, they gained so much, Mr. Barugh said they would always be outvoted by the Auckland Board. Mr. J. B. Whyte then moved, "That, in the opinion of this meeting, it is desirable that, until after the next meeting of Parliament, no payment should be made toward hospital or charitable aid by any of the five local bodies, namely, Hamilton borough, Waipa, Waikato, Raglan, and Piako Counties ; that copies of this resolution be sent to the five local bodies, and they be requested to send representatives to a meeting, to be called at an early date, to consider the question of joint aotion with regard generally to an amendment of the Act, or of forming these districts into a separate district for hospital and charitable aid purposes." This was seconded by Mr. A. Primrose, and carried unanimously, Mr. W. A. Graham was requested to act as convener of the next meeting, which it was resolved should be held on Friday, the 23rd of April, at eleven o'clock.