THE HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS BILL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15937, 3 December 1913, Page 2

THE HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS BILL.

10 IHB BDIIOa. Sib,—lt is with interest that I have read your sub-leader in tho Otago Daily Times of the 29th tilt., commenting on my minute submitted to the last meeting of the Otago Hospital and Charitable Aid Board in connection with tho proposed Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Amending Bill. In tho first place I desire to thank you for what I accept as very fair criticism, but I must still' maintain that there, is need for apprehension if this Bill becomes law. To my mind the clauses to which most objection can be taken are sections 9. 12, 14, and 17. It is certainly'true that tho provisions are almost entirely permissive in their nature, but therein the danger often lies. Clause 9 provides an additional pow{r and an avenue through which a 'board majexpend its revenue. As mentioned in the minute submitted to tho board, these grants have previously been made direct by the Government, as, for instance, the estimates recently passed by Parliament. The Inspector-general has more than once intimated that lie was not in favour of direct grants to societies, and desired all such amounts to be paid by the boards, but has been prevented from doing so by the present law, and to my mind this clause is introduced to get over the Inspectorgeneral's difficulty, thus throwing the whole burden on the board, which the ratepayers will have to provide by Increased levies. The " permissive" clauso becomes dangerous to finance. when certain pressure is brought to _ tear on individual _ members as is invariably done when, assistance is sought from public bodies by theso private societies. ' It will bo unnecessary to say anything further on this section. Clause 12 is another instance of additional financial burdens being placed on boards, and the ratepayers will again have to foot the bill.

It will be curious to know how section 14 will act if contributory local 'authorities tako advantage of it. In any caso the work at present entailed in carrying out tho duties required in the present Act is, I think, sufficient its members to undertake, without adding what might be cast on it.

Section 17, in effect, is a good one, but the terms are too indefinite and, as you say, give very wide powers to the Government. Boards ore fully aware of the onus placed on them, and you say the present clause 16 based on the recommendations of the medical officers who attended the Tuberculosis Conference last year, but it is not so-stated that it only refers to such cases. I think the powers given in the, proposed clause am muoh wider in, regard to this one disease than those recommended at that conference, but apart from that I take it that the elauso refers to contagious and infectious diseases other than tuberculosis.

In conclusion, I must at least enter niy emphatic protest at the hurry in nushing this Bill through Parliament. The first intimation of its introduction was through the press on Wednesday evening last, and by press information the Bill, had been forced through all its stages in the Lower House on Thursday evening, and apparently no copies had been previously distributed to the various boards throughout the dolhinion, at least none reached this board, so that consideration could not bo given to tho various provisions contained in the Bill by the persons most interested—l am, etc., James H. Walker, , Chairman Otago Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. \':~ . Dunedin, December 1.