SOUTH OTAGO HOSPITAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18047, 22 September 1920, Page 5

SOUTH OTAGO HOSPITAL

SEPARATION BILL AGAIN DISCUSSED. MR VEITCffS OPPOSITION. DEBATE AGAIN INTERRUPTED. (Fbom Oub Own Corhespondent.) WELLINGTON, September 21. The interrupted debate on the Bill providing for the South Otago Hospital was reached this afternoon, alter two other interrupted debates had been got out of tho way. Mr W. A. Veiteh (Wanganui) continued his speech on Mr Statham's amendment. Ho said lie thought it desirable that the Bill should be referred back to the committee, because it was the result of a political intrigue more than the result of national consideration and the true facts. In other words, tho Bdil had been intrcduced and taken up by the Minister of Health in the interests of the people of Duncdin, not in tho interests of the people of the Clutha. He was convinced that it was a very improper thing for any Minister of the Crown to place himself iti the position of a partisan as between two factions in a local difference. The principles underlying the Bill were such as would make it a local Bill, but for the unfortunate fact that the Hospital and Charitable Aid Bill did set cut tile boundaries of hospital districts. In this particular case l.heie was every reason to believe that tho passage of tho Bill would prove a great national loss and expense to tho people of Ota go, and ho wished to draw the attention ot the Minister to the fact that an indignation meeting vyas held in tho city of Dunedin only last nighty and that so far as they could learn the meeting was very enthusiastic, and one which would prove" to any impartial judge of tho situation that in the tho opinion or the great mass of tho people of that progressive city the Bill was a retrograde step. It went in the direction of disorgankring and rendering ineffective the work of tending the sick and injured people of Otago. it was quite impossible for any speaker in, tho debate to produce proof of a convincing character that the welfare of the sick and injured people of Otaigo was going to be furthered by the disintegration of the financial and practical side of that groat humanitarian work. They had the proposal to establish a base hospital in a district that could be very well served by the Otago Hospital Board. It was not fair to say to the people of Otago that they deliberately stood in tho way of a hospital that would meet the requirements of the South Otago people, because it was a wellknown fact, recognised throughout Otago, that 1-he real reason why the new hospital had not already been established in that district was the fact

At this point the hour for the dinner adjournment was reached, and the debate was again interrupted. It will come on .again in due course.