South Canterbury Times, TUESDAY, MAY 30, 1882.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2864, 30 May 1882, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, TUESDAY, MAY 30, 1882.

We have received draft Bills of the amendments proposed to be made in the Timaru Harbor Board and High School Board Acts. The amendments tend in the right direction, as they seek to abolish nominated Boards —institutions which savour too much of a bygone age, and are repugnant to all liberal-minded people. We only wish the member for Gladstone, or some of the other members for South Canterbury, had given notice to abolish that other remnant of the nominated age, the Timaru Hospital Commissioners. The latter body, or some of their friends for them, tried to patch up matters a short time ago by allowing the Geraldine County Council to have a voice in their august assemblage by nominating one of its members to a seat on the Hospital Board. The move was, as our American cousins would say, “ far too thin.” It was an attempt to meet public opinion, but we must say it was a very feeble attempt. The first thing to consider, in criticising the constitution of the present Hospital Commissioners, is—who provides the money for the support of the Hospital? This is a most important consideration, yet we do not admit that if the Government found the whole of the money it should be expended by a nominated and practically irresponsible body of men. But Government does not supply all the money required for the maintenance of the Hospital, and the administration of charitable aid in South Canterbury. A moiety of the cost is charged to the Timaru Borough Council and Geraldine County Council, and has to come out of the pockets of the ratepayers of the district. The rule which should be applied in this and all similar cases, is—he or they who contribute the money should have a direct voice in the expenditure of it. At present the people have no voice in the Hospital expenditure. We do not say that the funds placed at the disposal of the present Hospital Commissioners have been wrongfully expended, neither are we _ preferring a bill of indictment against them for mismanagement. Our present purpose is to show that the constitution of the Board of Commissioners is not what the public desire. Possibly the Hospital and Charitable Aid Bill vyhich the Government have dangled before Parliament for years, and abandoned before the close of each session, will again be resuscitated. We hope it will be, and that at the close of the present session it will find a place in the Statute Book of the colony, and contain proper provision for the administration of Hospital and Charitable Aid, by Boards to be elected by the vote of the people. The proposals of the Member for Gladstone for the amendment of the “ Timaru Harbor Act of 1876 ” consist of the repeal of the clause referring to the constitution of the Board, and the substitution of a provision for the election of a Board as follows :—The Board to consist of twelve members ; one for Mount Peel district, one for Mount Cook, one for Geraldine, one for Temuka, ono for Levels, one for the Borough of Wairnato, lire for the Borough of Timaru, and ono to bo elected by the Waimatc County Council. This proposal will give seven members for the country districts and five members for Timaru. It may be objected that in the above distribution, undue representation is proposed to bo given to Timaru, but it

must be remembered that in Timaru the shipping interests require representation in addition to the large population within the limits of the Borough. It is not improbable that the details as set forth by the framer of the Amendment Bill will be altered when the House goes into Committee on the Bill, but we feel confident that the main principle sought for—the election of the Board by the ratepayers of South Canterbury—will be adopted. The amendments sought to be made in the Timaru High School Act of 1878 are similar—so far ns the elective principle is concerned—to the Harbor Board Bill. But only in the case of the Borough of Timaru is it proposed to elect the members by the vote of the people. Country representation is to be had through the three County Councils, including the Timaru County Council, which has not yet sprung into active existence. It is proposed that each of the three County Councils shall elect one member, and that in order to make these members directly responsible to the respective Councils it is provided that they shall be members of the Councils electing them. They are to be elected for two years. The Timaru Borough is to elect four members, and the Board of Governors is to be composed of seven members. The Timaru representatives are to be elected 'by the ratepayers of the Borough in the same manner as they elect the Mayor, which means that each ratepayer, no matter what amount of property ho may possess, shall only have one vote.