PATEA HOSPITAL BOARD.

Patea Mail, Volume XLV, 21 April 1922, Page 3

PATEA HOSPITAL BOARD .

A CURIOUS POSITION,

A sequel to the/ecent decision of the X'utoa Hospital Board to accept the tender of the Farmers ’ Co-operative Organisation for the supply of groceries to the institution has now arisen.

it has boon pointed out that section 20 of the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, IOOPj states that the office of any member of a Hospital and Charitable Aid Board shall become vacant if' ho is concerned or interested (otherwise than as a member of an incorporated company in which there arc more thin 20 members and of which he is neither a director nor general manager) in any contract made by the

L Board, if the payment made or to bo made' in respect of any such contract „ exceeds £o in the case of a single con. 1 tract,-'or £lO altogether in any fmau. v cial in the case of two or more contracts. Subsection 2 of the same section states t£at: “If any person does any act a|’a member of a Hospital and Charitable Aid Board after he has forfeited,this office under this section, he shall bo guilty of an offence and shall bo liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding SSO. . It is pointed out that one of the members of the Hospital Board, is a director of the Farmers' Co-operative Organisation Society, and if this is the case his seat will have become vacant. We understand that legal opinion is at present being sought on the matter.