MR. BAGLEY'S BOAST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12269, 13 May 1903, Page 6

MR. BAGLEY'S BOAST.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, —In your issue of the 7th inst. Mr. Bagley is reported to have said, with reference to the proposed infectious diseases hospital, that " he had protested against the expenditure at the outset, but he was not supported at the time by ihe representatives of the local bodies, who all went like lambs to the slaughter in falling in with the scheme submitted to them. Now, however, nearly all the local bodies had come to his way of thinking." This is excellent, and it is to be hoped that the happy Roskillians who are so fortunate in possessing the great Bagley will promptly and generously recognise their indebtedness to him in the usual and orthodox manner. The local bodies may perhaps in some .cases feel highly flattered to learn that they have come to Sir. Bagley's way of thinking, but, so far at least as the Avondale Road Board is concerned, its members held and expressed views on the matter in question and adopted a course of action uninfluenced by Mr. Bagley's cogent arguments and persuasive rhetoric and in complete ignorance of his way of thinking on this or any other subject. "When the question of the proposed hospital first came before tlio Avondale Read Board the Board refused to deal with the matter until it was supplied with particulars as to cost of erection, maintenance, etc., and the amount which the Board! would be required to contribute. Some amount of information on these points was supplied, and then repeated demands were made for the consent of the Board, it being alleged that the matter was urgent. Even the telegraph was brought into requisition on the subject by the Health Department. The Board was also informed that it could be compelled to give its consent to the scheme, and it was broadly hinted that proceedings would be instituted with this object in view if the consent wore not given voluntarily, and that these proceedings would involve the Board in legal costs and expenses. At length the Avondale Road Board was given to understand 1 that all the other local bodies had notified their consent, and a communication was received from the Health Department stating that only the consent of this Board was now required, and that on this being given the work would be proceeded with at once. It was then, and not till then, and in order to avoid incurring considerable and probably heavy legal costs and expenses, that the consent of the Avondale Road Board was reluctantly given, but even then this consent was accompanied by a most emphatic protest. Now, Mr. Bagley should restrict his tune to praises of himself without attempting to belittle the members of other local bodies.—l am, etc., Wm. Cooper, A Member of Avondale Road Board.